


Free Heart

by duaba



Category: One Piece
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-18
Updated: 2018-08-12
Packaged: 2018-08-15 15:28:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 79
Words: 291,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8061763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/duaba/pseuds/duaba
Summary: Only Garp could show up on Mt. Colubo with another child for Dadan to watch over and only Luffy would accept point blank that she was his sister, despite sharing no resemblance. This is the story of Emmy and her journey of self-discovery but more importantly, her pursuit of freedom. Luffy x OC - NOT an incest fic. No blood relation.





	1. I am the Moon.

_-2 years before Luffy sets sail, Luffy: 15 years old-_

Cold.

That was all the girl felt as she laid curled up in the middle of her cell. Her head rested on its side with her cheek pressed against the slightly damp wooden planks. Her thick blonde hair spilled all around her body and over her face. Her arms were clutched tightly around her chest with her knees tucked over them but yet she was still cold. The thin dress that she wore, although going all the way down to her ankles, offered no warmth. In actuality, she'd prefer to feel that way since the colder she was, the more numb she'd feel.

She wished for all her heart that the night air would turn even chillier just so that she wouldn't have to feel anything at all. She was actually thankful for the cold shackles that circled around her wrists. The Sea Prism Stone provided two benefits for the girl. It kept her power at bay and also made her feel completely exhausted. Feeling tired meant she didn't have to feel anything else and she was so tired of feeling.

Outside of her cell was the captain's bedroom. He had a large wooden bed with an ornate headboard, an oak writing desk, a matching chair, and, more importantly, a window. It was a small porthole but to the little girl, it was the size of her world. From it, while lying down at this angle, she could see the night sky.

Her cloudy blue eyes peaked through the openings of her blonde hair and she stared out the window in a daze. Tonight was a full moon and it shined directly back at her, like a parent reaching out to a child. _I am the moon,_ the little girl chanted through her unblinking eyes. It had become her nightly prayer and wish, _Cold and alone. No one can touch me. I feel nothing. I am the moon._

Outside the captain's door, there was more activity than usual. People were running, shouting, and screaming but the girl didn't pay much attention to it. It was another day. Another battle. If someone came to take her away, so be it. If she was going to be another person's prisoner, she's fine with it. If she was to be their slave, it would be nothing she hadn't experienced before. If someone came to end her life, even better.

The door finally swung open but the girl didn't move an inch. Her eyes were still fixed on the window. Even when she heard the sound of keys jingling and her cell door unlocking, she was unresponsive. Black boots appeared in front of her, just an inch away from her nose, and finally she blinked but otherwise, that was it. Her hair was brushed out of her eyes and for a second, she felt the warmth of a human hand. However, she remained motionless.

Only when she felt the keys get fit into her shackles did she jerk away and sit up. She stared wide eyed at the cell's new occupant and shook her head violently. She held her hands behind her head so that he couldn't get to the Sea Prism Stone. From the light of the moon, she could see that the man was wearing a fedora and his face was slim. He was squatting in front of her so she couldn't tell what he was wearing except that he had a white coat that hung over his shoulders.

"It's okay," the man said in a gruff voice but not unkindly, "I'm not here to harm you."

That seemed to not ease the little girl at all and she started to back away from him.

"Just let me-" he started to say, bringing the key closer to her again.

She let out a little gasp and turned her back to the man. She doubled over her hands, shielding him from her shackles. At her position, she didn't see the shocked expression from the man's face.

"Oy! What's going on in there?!" came a loud bark from outside. Soon, the whole doorframe of the captain's room was filled by a burly figure with wild hair. He, too, had a white coat draped over him.

"Vice Admiral Garp," the man in the cell said as he stood at attention, "I think I found another one."

"What do you mean you think?" Garp demanded, crossing the room with just three strong strides. He looked down at the girl and raised a very bushy white eyebrow that matched his beard and hair.

"I was about to verify it before you came in," the man said.

Then Garp saw what his right hand man, Bogard, was referring to. Stamped right at the base of the girl's neck was a burn mark. Even though her hair was covering up most of it, it had parted enough for Garp to see the hint of a circle with three marks at the top.

He knelt down but then much to Bogard's surprise, instead of moving her hair out of the way so they could see the full marking, the old marine brought all her hair to her back so that it cascaded down to her waist, hiding the scar under her curtain of hair.

"She is not a slave," Garp said loud enough for the entire ship to hear, "I, Monkey D. Garp, have confirmed it for myself."

The girl's head lifted up slightly but she kept her shackles close to her body. Then without warning, Garp scooped her up in his arms and held her to his chest. She blinked up at him, stunned from this sudden action as well as marvelling at how warm his whole body felt.

"Bogard," Garp ordered, without looking at her, "Bring the captain here."

The man in the fedora nodded his head, tilted his hat even further over his eyes, and walked out of the door, closing it behind him. Garp marched across the room and set the girl down at top of the captain's desk so that she was only slightly below his eye level.

He looked at her dirtied dress, which was more brown and grey than its original white, her skinny arms, and her sunken cheeks. She was shivering all over. Her head was bowed and her hair flowed over the desk surface. It was like she was tossed in a cell and forgotten for months.

The girl waited for the man to demand information from her but then he did another surprising thing. He pulled out a half eaten bag of rice crackers and held it under her nose. "Want some?"

She shook her head, despite the fact that her stomach was already caving in on itself.

"Are you sure? It's good," he laughed as he stuck his own hand in and grabbed a fistful. He shoved the crackers in his mouth and crunched loudly for her to hear. He kept eating and eating until finally the little girl reached tentatively into the bag and pulled one out herself.

She moved it under her hair and then Garp heard a soft crunch. The grin on his face got bigger. "Good, right?"

The girl nodded.

"Want to tell me your name?"

The girl shook her head.

"Do you have one?"

The girl shook her head.

"Do you want me to take off those shackles?"

The girl's head snapped up, her hair falling to the sides of her face and revealing her panicked blue eyes. Garp raised an eyebrow as he swallowed a mouthful of mushed up crackers. "I'm a marine. I mean you no harm. Do you realize that?"

There was a pause before the girl head bobbed down and then up.

"Yet you still don't want me to remove those chains?"

She nodded.

The door opened and Bogard returned while dragging the girl's most recent master by the collar. He was beaten to a pulp with a swollen eye, missing teeth, and rips all around his dark blue captain coat.

"Vice Admiral Garp," Bogard announced, "I've brought the captain."

"Close the door," Garp said, not taking his eyes off of the girl. When Bogard did so, Garp turned to glower at the defeated captain, "Carlyle the Trader, Captain of the Stray Dog Pirates, I'm charging you with an added offense of kidnapping. You are to go to Level 3 of Impel Down."

"Eh?!" the captain cried, "I didn't kidnap her from a Noble, I swear! I found her on another pirate ship. I was about to bring her to Sabaody and-"

"You bastard!" Garp roared as he punched the man hard across the face, lodging the man's head through the wall of his own room, "Why are you talking like this girl is a slave?! I don't see a slave here. All I know is that you had the balls to kidnap my granddaughter!"

"EH?!" the captain shouted as Garp pulled him back out of the hole he had just created, "Granddaughter?! She's your-?"

"I'm the one asking questions here!" Garp barked, "So tell me, why did you choose to put those harsh shackles on my beloved grandchild?! Answer me now or else I'll throw you down to Level 4."

"B-b-b-but if she's your granddaughter, shouldn't you know tha-"

"LEVEL 5!"

"AHHH!" the captain screamed, "It's her Devil Fruit power. She ate the Feel Feel Fruit!"

"The Feel Feel Fruit?" Garp asked.

The captain nodded fervently and hurriedly rushed to explain. "She's an empath. She projects powerful emotions everywhere. The first day we had her on board, everyone in my crew was in the fetal position and paralyzed with fear."

"I've heard about that fruit," Bogard said, "It's a rare fruit that is known to drive it's users mad. It's a double edged sword. The ones who possess that power usually lead very short lives."

Garp nodded and turned back to the girl, who was staring wide eyed back at him. "Leave us," he ordered, "And Bogard, once we get to Impel Down, I'm going to take a vacation."

"I will look after the crew in your absence," Bogard replied as he left with the captain in tow.

"Do you want another cracker?" Garp asked and the girl blinked back at him, "You should eat. Food is good."

The girl's mouth opened and then she shut it. She wasn't sure where to begin with this man. If she had her shackles off she could feel his intentions but that would open a whole can of worms. Not only would she absorb his emotions but everyone on the ship as well. Like Bogard said, it was a double edged sword.

"I said a lot," Garp said, "But the most important thing to know is that from now on you are my granddaughter, Monkey D….erm….Emmy! Yeah! That sounds good. If people ask, you were kidnapped many years ago and I have just managed to find you. Is that clear?"

The girl's lips parted again but, again, they closed almost immediately. She felt confused and frustrated. Was he trying to trick her? Gain her trust just so he can return her to Mariejois without any trouble? She had already experienced a miracle in escaping the first time. She doubted she was lucky enough to experience a second successful rescue.

Her eyes narrowed and her fists clenched in her lap. She refused to trust this man. She couldn't afford to. She did the only thing she could do to create some distance. She spat in his face.

Immediately, she regretted her decision. Why did she even bother? It didn't matter if she did go back to Mariejois. Her life was meaningless.

Garp's brows furrowed and his hands shot out towards her and the girl calmly closed her eyes, bracing herself for the inevitable beating. She was always beaten when she showed any signs of emotions. Anger. Courage. Even happiness. It always resulted in some sort of punishment.

Her eyes widened with shock when strong arms enveloped her and pulled her in tightly for a hug. "Good! That's good!" Garp practically shouted into her ear, "You still have some fight in you. That's good!"

His chest was big and his muscles were hard yet his hold was soft. The heat radiating from this man was nothing she had ever experienced before. The girl felt like she was being embraced by the sun.

"If you want to survive, if you want to live," Garp continued, "Then from now on, live as my granddaughter. Okay? If you want to live, call me gramps!"

 _Do I want to live?_ , the girl thought to herself, _Am I not the moon? Cold and lifeless?_

Then, to her surprise, she felt warmth in her own eyes and her vision became misty from her own tears. _Why am I crying?_

He must've felt the dampness on his shirt because he pulled back to beam down at her. "That's right. Cry! Feel everything you want to feel. Scream if you want to. Be mad at everything that has happened. Be happy that it's all over. Be sad that you had to experience terrible things. FEEL IT ALL! Prove that you are alive by being a feeling and fighting human!"

The tears started to flow down even more to the point that the old man became just a wavy blur to her. The girl no longer felt cold and numb. In fact she was just the exact opposite. She felt like she was on fire. The exhaustion in her body was gone and in its place was all of her emotions - fear, anger, relief, and something else. Something that she hadn't felt in a very long time. Hope.

She pursed her lips, feeling it quiver but unable to steady it. She blinked, trying to clear the tears away, only to have more fall out.

"Come on, say it. Prove that you want to live!" Garp shouted, "You can start a new life. You just have to call me gramps!"

Her fingers dug into the back of the old man. She squeezed her eyes shut and let her mouth fall open. "GRRRAAAAMMMPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPS!"

* * *

_\- Six Months Later in Mt. Colubo -_

"ANOTHER ONE?!" Curly Dadan shrieked while her two sidekicks, Dogra and Magra, pushed her upright from the back.

"G-G-G-Garp-san," Dogra stammered, "We just got rid- er- I mean, we just said goodbye to Ace last year! You can't possibly expect us to-"

A menacing gleam from Garp's eye made them all stand up straighter and shut their traps. Then the glare vanished as quickly as it appeared.

"I figured you guys might be lonely so here's another one! Besides, I was actually supposed to drop her off a couple months ago but I got caught up with some work and didn't get a vacation until now. That's my fault. Bwahahaha," Garp laughed. He reached behind him and gently pushed out the girl that was using him as cover, "Emmy, this is Dadan. She'll take care of you while I'm gone."

Emmy took a hesitant step forward. Then she bowed politely to the female mountain bandit. Her bow was a perfect 90 degree from her waist with her arms straight and her hands pressed over each other. Her thick hair flowed down her back to her waist and was tied together at the bottom by a white ribbon.

She was wearing an adult man's button up and it hung all the way to her knees. The sleeves were folded up to her elbow, revealing the shackles around the wrist. The chains were cut off but the cuffs were still there. The shirt was cinched at the waist by a rope tied with a tight sailor's knot. The boots on her feet were obviously too large for her and looked identical to the one Garp was wearing.

"Please," Dadan pleaded as she sank to her knees, "Have mercy, Garp-san. I can't take on another one. It was a miracle we've survived thus far."

"Are you saying you'd rather survive in prison?!" Garp barked and Dadan immediately began to sweat. Then he grinned down at Emmy, "Besides, it's not like I'm giving you a baby to raise. She's only two years younger than Luffy. Plus, this one is very mild compared to the others. She's also quite handy around the house too."

Emmy nodded in agreement and she crossed the floor to the corner of the room where a broom and dustbin sat. She picked them up and began to sweep.

"Really?" Dadan said, eyeing her cautiously. Children were tricky and a handful. There was no way this child was that obedient.

"Like I said," Garp chuckled, "She's not the violent type. In fact, I expect her to learn how to read and write while she's with you."

Dadan practically swallowed her cigarette. "What are you talking about?! _I_ can barely read and write!"

"Just the basic essentials is fine," Garp said, waving it off as if it was no big deal.

"Dadan! Look!" Dogra gasped as he tugged on Dadan's sleeve. He pointed at the other side of the room, where Emmy stood. The floor area around her was practically spotless and even the floorboards were shiny.

"So fast?!' Dadan shrieked.

"I didn't even know wood could gleam," Magma whispered with awe.

"Like I said. Quite handy," Garp grinned, "She managed to clean my ship in a third of the time it takes my men."

Dadan scowled. "Fine," she said disgruntledly as Emmy continued to sweep.

"Ah, before I forget!" Garp shouted suddenly. He crossed the room and he bent at the knees so he was eye level to Emmy. He took out a key and fitted it into one of her cuffs. Her eyes widened in panic and she dropped the broom she was holding. She started to pull back her wrists but then Garp put a heavy hand on her head, "Don't worry. I'm just giving you a little parting gift."

He lifted his hand but Emmy could still feel something weighing down on her head. He turned the key and the first of her shackles fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

"Touch it. It's fine," Garp said and Emmy obediently moved her hand to her head. Her eyes widened at the feel of a metal headband.

"I had consulted a specialist to make that," Garp said with a grin, "There should be enough Sea Prism Stone to keep your powers away without tiring you out completely. So...if you're ready, I'll unlock the last one."

"Gramps…" Emmy whispered as she studied his face for a moment. Then she lifted her shackled wrist slowly towards him. With a hollow clicking sound, her final bind was released. She closed her eyes and waited for a wave of emotions and voices to hit her but she felt nothing. Her eyes flew open and she looked wondrously at the old man.

"There!" Garp said as he stood back up and let out a barking laugh, "You're finally free!"

Emmy's lips began to tremble. It was the second time this man had performed a miracle on her. Tears flooded her eyes and she threw her arms around his neck. "Gramps!" she whimpered, "Th-...Th-…"

It was the first time she had tried saying anything besides his name and Garp was ripe with anticipation.

"Thank-"

"OYYYYYYYYY! GRAMPS!"

"Watch out!"

Without warning, Garp's actual grandson came crashing through the window of Dadan's shack. Garp quickly covered Emmy's body with his to avoid any incoming glass shards.

"Oy! What are you doing here, Gramps?" Luffy hopped from one foot to the other. His sandals made a light smacking noise against the floor, "I wasn't expecting you for another 6 months at least!"

_Thwack!_

A hard Fist of Love cracked against Luffy's skull as the old marine ground his knuckles into the pained area. "Show some respect!" he barked, "A grandparent has the right to pop in anytime he wants! And be careful how you make an entrance! It was cool but it could've hurt Emmy!"

"That hurts!" Luffy complained as he squatted down and covered his growing lump with his hands. Then his head lifted when he realized there was someone new standing in front of him, "Eh? Who are you?"

"This is your sister, Monkey D. Emmy," Garp said.

"Oh, okay," Luffy said as he leapt back up to his feet and he grinned at the girl. "My name is Monkey D. Luffy. Nice to meetcha."

"WHAT?! That easy?!" their audience shouted and even Emmy's jaw dropped at how well the boy took the news.

Garp laughed, spotting her reaction, "See? I told you Luffy would be fine with it." Then he shot a stern look at Luffy. "Oy! Luffy. From now on, you're in charge of protecting Emmy. Don't let anything happen to her while I'm away. Got it?!"

"EHHHH?!" Luffy protested, "She can't fight for herself?!"

"She's your delicate sister!" Garp roared, sending another harsh punch to Luffy's head, "It's your duty to look after her! Consider it training to become a honorable marine."

"Who knew? Garp-san had a soft spot for girls," the bandits murmured to each other.

Luffy snorted in anger. "I already told you, Gramps! I'm not going to become a marine. I'm going to be the King of Pirates!"

"Idiot! I'm going to beat the foolishness out of you!" Garp thundered as he raised his fist but this time Luffy was ready for him and he jumped at the last second, towards the door. As he did, he extended his arm and grabbed Emmy by the wrist.

"Like I'd let you hit me for a third time. Idiot Gramps!" Luffy taunted as he stuck a tongue out at the old man, "Come on, Emmy! Let's get out of here! We don't need Gramps."

Emmy blinked in surprise but before she could even say anything, she found herself being slingshotted towards the boy's side as he burst through the door, running down the mountain side. He looked over his shoulder, not breaking his stride, and grinned down at her expression. "Shishishishishi. I ate the Gum Gum fruit. I'm a rubber man."

Emmy blinked back at him, unsure of how to react. Luckily, someone else did.

"LUFFYYYYYYY! HOW DARE YOU RUN AWAY! COME BACK HERE AND FACE ME LIKE A MAN!" Garp thundered, creating a large dust cloud as he chased after them.

"AHHHHHHH! He's coming!" Luffy shrieked. His eyes bugging out of his sockets at the sight of his raging grandfather, who was steadily catching up to him. He wound his arm around Emmy's waist and secured her even more to his side.

"Here, hold this," he said as he put his straw hat on her head then he put her hand over it to hold it down. Then he shot out his own hand to a large tree in the distance. "Ready, Emmy? IKUZO!"

Garp watched as his two grandchildren flew high into the sky. He had to throw a hand over his eyes to shield it from the blinding sunlight. He grinned despite wanting to tear his beloved grandson a new one. If anyone could bring some life back into that girl, it would be Luffy.


	2. I am a Sister.

_-1 year later, 6 months before Luffy sets sail, Luffy: 16, Emmy: 14-_

"Oyyyy! Emmy! Are you done yet? Let's go hunting for dinner," Luffy whined as his legs dangled from a tree top high above Dadan's house. He watched as his sister hung out the laundry to dry. She finished clipping a corner of a sheet to a long rope and smiled up at Luffy.

Just one year with Luffy and the girl was livelier than she had ever been before. Long gone were the days of sunken cheeks and rail thin limbs. Her face had filled out and she also gained some curves that any teenage girl would kill for. However, Emmy kept it modest with a baby blue dress that was buttoned up to the base of her throat with a white apron cinched around her small waist. The skirt of her dress puffed out on its own, hiding the shape of her hips. She wore white lace cuffs that matched the lace on her apron straps. The cuffs hid the scars around her wrist that marked her former captivity.

At first, she could only bring herself to talk to Luffy and the pair became almost inseparable. With his encouragement, she gradually became comfortable talking to Dadan, Makino, the mayor, and finally the rest of the people residing in both Mt. Colubo and Foosha Village.

"Almost done, Luffy," Emmy said and turned to the large wicker hamper next to her, "Just twenty more shirts to go."

Luffy almost fell off the branch. "Eh?! Twenty?! That's so many! How long is that going to take?"

Emmy looked up at her brother. Her blue eyes sparkled underneath the sun while a gentle breeze blew past her, making her hair flow to the side. Now that she wore high collar clothing, she could let her hair loose. No one would be able to see her slave mark without her permission and only Luffy and Garp had that.

"I'm going as quickly as I can, Luffy," Emmy answered with a small apologetic smile, "After all, it's not just our clothes but Dadan-san's and everyone else's too."

"Meh, leave it," Luffy said as he began to pick his nose, "As long as _our_ clothes are dry then it doesn't really matter."

_Thwack!_

A rock hit him in the head and sent him falling backwards into the bushes below.

"Luffy!" Emmy gasped, dumping the armful of clothes she had back into the hamper. She started to make her way to him but then felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Dadan standing behind her, glaring in Luffy's direction while she bounced another rock in her hand.

"Don't be so selfish," Dadan snapped, "Learn from Emmy once in awhile. You do realize that she's doing your share of the chores too, right?"

"Shishishishi," Luffy laughed as he got up to his feet and pulled a twig out of his hair, "Of course."

"Don't say it like it's a natural thing!" Dadan seethed while Emmy laughed along with her brother.

"It's okay, Dadan. I don't mind," Emmy said and she returned to the laundry basket, "I like being useful. Plus, having Luffy do chores will only double the amount of work I have to do."

Dadan frowned. The girl had a point. Luffy had never washed a window he didn't break in the process. Clothes would practically rip just being in his presence. Dust and dirt seemed to increase everywhere he went and Dadan didn't even want to think about the disaster that could happen if Luffy set foot near a stove.

"Fine," she grumbled and shot a pointed look at Luffy, "Do whatever you want, Luffy, but just let Emmy do her work!"

Then she patted Emmy on the back. "And when you're done with this, Emmy, come in and read the newspaper with me."

"Yes, Dadan-san," Emmy said and bowed her head obediently while Dadan made her way back to her house. Then she shot a full apologetical smile at Luffy, "I'm sorry, Luffy. I don't think I can go hunting with you today either."

"Ehhhhh?" Luffy pouted, "But it's been so long since you came with me! We had so much fun getting that big wolf remember?!"

"We did," Emmy admitted as she hung up one of Luffy's shirts, "But I don't think I was much use. After all, you were the one that fought and killed it."

"Yeah but you were great as bait," Luffy grinned, "Come on! Let's do it again."

"What the hell do you make your sister do?!" Dadan snapped, freezing midway underneath the door frame.

"Don't worry. She's got me," Luffy laughed, "I wouldn't let anything happen to Emmy."

Emmy smiled up at Dadan. "I have a natural talent for luring in dangerous animals. Luffy says the ones that come are always larger than the ones he gets by himself."

"Don't say it so proudly!" Dadan shrieked, "Do you have no sense of danger?!"

"I don't mind being in danger," Emmy said, blinking her big, blue eyes at Dadan, "As long as I can be of use to you and Luffy, Dadan-san. You two are very important to me."

The usually harsh bandit sucked in a breath of air. Her theory about children were right. They were very tricky. This one, in particular, always seemed to sucker punch her directly in the heart when she let her guard down.

"Whatever! You can skip reading today then if you want to go die that badly!" Dadan growled and then slammed the door behind her.

Emmy turned to Luffy and she smiled at him. "I guess I can go then. Just give me 20 more minutes."

"Wooohoooo!" Luffy cheered.

That night, the band of bandits feasted on not only roasted bison but also bear stew, courtesy of the rubber man and his sister. They cheered with their mugful of alcohol while heartedly enjoying Emmy's home cooking. The utensils they used were not stained and crusted from remnants of previous meals. The tables and chairs no longer gave them splinters. Even the room smelled like citrus and leaves rather than sweat and grime. It was hard to fathom that just a year ago, the place was nothing more than a pigsty. The bandits slept with their bellies full and their blankets clean.

The two teenagers, however, slept slightly differently.

"Emmy! Wake up!" Luffy shouted in his room as he shook his sister by her shoulders, which was covered in cold sweat, "You're having another bad dream again!"

Her eyes snapped open and for a second, they were glazed with confusion and fear before they settled on Luffy's face. Her naturally thick eyelashes looked even heavier than usual from being drenched in tears she didn't even recall shedding. Then her expression softened and she let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "I'm awake..." she breathed.

Luffy nodded and then laid down on his side. He waited for her to do the same, to face him, and tell him what haunting memory she had just relived. It happened more often than not, especially when they slept apart.

He watched her as she slowly gained control of her breath. Then she rolled over on her side and reached her hand out to him. He caught it, meeting her in the middle with his own, and held it securely between them. "What was it this time?" he asked. His voice quiet and steady, very different than how he was during the day, "The auction? The rescue?"

Emmy shook her head and gulped. "The fruit," she said and she felt Luffy's hand tense, "I was eating the fruit again."

She closed her eyes, as she pictured the Feel Feel Fruit in her mind. It was a rainbow colored fruit with a black stem but the insides were white, pure white. "I could taste it. Even in my dreams...It was bitter...then tart...then salty...then sweet...but I didn't even get a chance to chew it," she whispered as the memory of the people around the fruit came back up, "They just..shoved it down my throat. Chunk by chunk. They were laughing. Both of them...just laughing."

"Your first masters?" Luffy asked and Emmy nodded.

"They wanted to see...what the fruit would do. They didn't even know what fruit it was. They just bought it on a whim," Emmy said, "And when they found out, it made them even happier. They were eager to see me go mad…and when I did…"

She squeezed her eyes shut as she remembered the emotional hurricane that destroyed her sense of self. Her own maniacal laugh rang in her ears. She could practically taste the rage that had bloomed up from her stomach, feel the hot, wet tears that kept pouring out endlessly over her face, and smell the copper stench of fresh blood.

"Stop," Luffy said and jabbed her with a finger right in between her eyes.

Emmy's eyes flew open and she stared at her brother, who returned his hand back to hers. Just seeing his face and holding his hand brought Emmy back to the present. "That's not what you dreamed about," he said, "You only dreamed about eating the fruit so just focus on that, right?"

Emmy nodded and she took another deep breath. "Right," she said, "One memory at a time."

Luffy grinned. "Yep! So...are you ready?"

Emmy slowly smiled at her brother and began her updated nightly chant.

"I am the moon. I am the ruler of the night sky...so I won't be beaten by dreams. No one can harm me because if they try..."

Luffy's grin deepened and he couldn't help but let out an anticipatory laugh. "Shishishishishi."

Emmy joined in her brother's chuckle, giving into his silliness, and finished up her prayer with the last line, which Luffy had come up with himself. "Luffy will kick their ass."

"Feel better?" Luffy asked.

Emmy nodded.

"One day, you're going to be free of those memories," Luffy said, "And I thought of a way you could do it."

"How?"

"Just make a bunch more happy ones so you dream of those instead!"

Emmy smiled. "That does make sense."

"And I know how to create the happiest memories in the shortest amount of time."

"How?"

"By going on an adventure!" Luffy cried. He sat up excitedly from his mat and pumped his fists up in the air. In his haste, he had forgotten he was still holding onto Emmy's hand and yanked her right out from beneath her blankets.

"Ah!" Emmy shrieked in surprise as she used her free hand to keep the strap from her nightdress from slipping off her shoulder.

There was a banging on the wall. "Go to sleep, you brats! Don't make me separate you two again!" came Dadan's muffled but angry voice.

Luffy and Emmy covered their mouths with their hands and stifled a laugh while Luffy lowered the hand that was still holding onto hers.

"Oy, Emmy!" Luffy whispered, which in his naturally energetic state came out as just a breathy shout, "Come with me next year!"

Emmy's eyes widened. She had always assumed that Luffy was going to set off on his own when he reached 17 and that he would come to visit her every once in awhile just like Gramps.

"Me?!" she gasped, "Are you sure?"

Luffy nodded with earnesty. "Yep! What do you say?"

"But...but...what about Dadan-san?"

"Dadan can take care of herself. She's got everyone else," Luffy said, "Come on! We'll have so much fun. You'll forget all about your past and finally be free!"

"But I'm not as strong as you," Emmy replied and her heart started to feel cold. She dropped her hand from her mouth and balled a fist against her chest, "And...and what if people find out that I was a slave? You would get in trouble and they would take me back."

"I wouldn't let them," Luffy said firmly. He reached over and grabbed her hand so that he was holding both of hers, "And you're not a slave. You're my sister! Come on! Join my pirate crew, Emmy! You'll be my first mate!"

"First mate?" Emmy repeated, not quite sure how to react to her energetic brother.

"Yeah! Makino says that the first mate is in charge of cleaning the decks and taking care of the crew. It'll be just like what you do here but for me and on my ship!" Luffy said excitedly.

"I don't think that's exactly what a first mate…" Emmy started to say but then her voice trailed off when she saw the look in Luffy's eye. It had been awhile since she had used her power but even so, she didn't need to be an empath to know how determined Luffy was. She let out a small sigh and smiled defeatedly at him, "Gramps is going to be mad, isn't he?"

"Is that a yes?" Luffy asked.

Emmy nodded. "That's a yes."

"Wahooo!" Luffy cheered and threw his arms around her, drawing her in for a hug.

"AH! Luffy! Wait!" Emmy gasped as Luffy's face rested against her head. The hold on her instantly weakened and his body started to slump.

She pushed Luffy and he fell back onto his bed. "I forgot. Your headband," he whimpered, "I got carried away."

Emmy smiled to herself as she rested against her own mat. She pulled her blanket back over herself but then poked her hand out from under it to to grab onto Luffy's hand again. "It's okay. This is enough," she said.

She felt Luffy give her hand a squeeze to show that he had already recovered from that small mishap. Then they locked eyes and shared another laugh.

"Luffy," she said, "Can you tell me a story?"

Luffy grinned and he looked up at the ceiling. "Which one do you wanna hear? The one where me, Ace, and Sabo took on a tiger? Or when-"

"Tell me about how you guys would eat at restaurants and run off," Emmy said as she turned on her side so she could watch her brother speak. Listening to his cheerful voice helped her fall asleep. Soon her eyes got heavy and her mind drifted off where she dreamed of not her own memories but of Luffy's.

Luffy finished the story despite knowing that Emmy had been sleeping for quite some time. He turned to look at her and he grinned. Even if she wasn't conscious, he knew she could still hear him because everytime he got to the ending, Emmy would smile in her sleep.

* * *

_\- 2 months later -_

"Ehhh?! You've decided to go too?" Makino asked as Emmy wiped down the bar for her. Emmy smiled and nodded at the green haired woman.

"En!" Emmy said, "Someone needs to take care of Luffy, after all."

"That is true..." Makino murmured and then she looked over at Luffy, who was sitting on the customer side of the bar, helping himself to a plate of fruit, "But I just don't see Emmy as a pirate."

"Shishishishi," Luffy laughed with his mouthful, "Emmy's not only going to be a great pirate, she'll be under the King of Pirates!"

There was snickering from the corner of the bar and Emmy glanced up from her cleaning duties. A group of pirates were sitting at the tables of Makino's bar. They were jabbing each other with their elbows and shooting condescending looks over at Luffy. Emmy caught the eye of one of them and she quickly looked down at the rag she held in her hand.

"So a brat like you is going to team up with a girl like her?" one of the men cackled. Emmy kept her attention on her rag as she continued to clean the bar top. She heard the sounds of a chair being pushed back, followed by heavy footsteps coming towards them.

 _Uh oh,_ she thought and then suddenly, she felt a hand on top of hers. She glanced up to see Luffy smiling back at her reassuringly, ignoring the pirate, who was now looming behind him. It was the same pirate that had looked at Emmy.

"Is there anything else you would like, sir?" Makino interjected with a polite smile, "More to drink, perhaps? Or food?"

"Shut up. I'm talking to this guy right here," the man sneered as he grabbed Luffy by the back of his t-shirt and pulled him back from his seat. He expected Luffy to fall from the stool but he only managed to stretch Luffy's torso back. The rubber boy's hand was still on Emmy's and his butt was still on his chair. "What the-?"

The man released his hold and Luffy snapped forward, ramming into the bar and knocking the wind out of him. It shook the bar and the stemware resting on Emmy's side rattled like crazy. Swiftly, she held them all steady while also managing to save a few from toppling over.

"Gah," Luffy gasped. Then the grin came back on Luffy's face and he pounded his chest with his fist, "Ooh! That was close. If I didn't finish eating that apple, I would've choked."

He swiveled in his seat to face the pirate. "Sorry to scare you. I ate the Gum Gum Fruit. I'm a rubber man. I'm Monkey D. Luffy. Nice to meet-"

_Boing!_

Without warning, a hard punch came straight across Luffy's face but it only managed to push his cheek into the other one, creating a rubber coating around the man's hand.

"AHHHH!" the man cried out in surprise as he withdrew his arm and Luffy's face bounced back into place.

"Shishishishi," Luffy laughed, "Like I said, I'm made of rubber. Punches don't really work on me."

"This brat," the pirate snarled as he pulled out a sword, "Then how about I cut you? Would that work?"

Luffy nodded. "Yep. That'll work."

"Please don't fight, sir!" Emmy pleaded.

"Oh?" The pirate raised an eyebrow and he smirked at the blonde, "Trying to protect him?"

Emmy shook her head fervently. "No! The bar!"

"What?!"

"Please don't get into a fight. You'll only end up damaging Makino-san's bar!"

"EH?!" the pirate sputtered, "You're not worried about your boyfriend at all?"

"I am his sister," Emmy corrected, "And the chances are higher that the bar will sustain the most damage from your attack."

"WHAT?! You think all I'll be able to do is cut wood?!" the pirate seethed as he raised the blade over his head, "How about this, you little b-"

He couldn't even finish his sentence as his blade was suddenly smashed in half and sent flying across the room. The sharpest end of it lodged into the middle of the wall. The pirate was left holding onto a hilt with a broken blade.

Luffy tilted his straw hat over his eyes. "Oy. Don't point your sword at her. You wanna fight, fight me."

"Who the hell do you think you are?!"

Luffy grinned. The brief moment of menace gone from his face. "Monkey D. Luffy. I'm going to be the King of Pirates!"

"This guy," the pirate growled and pounced on Luffy, "GET 'EM!"

His men came rushing over and they jumped on top of the brawl. They started to roll all around the floor, taking down everything in their way.

"Ah! The bar!" Emmy cried as they crashed into the tables and chairs. Cups, bowls, and plates smashed onto the floor and food smeared across the wood. Emmy's eyes flashed with anger and guilt as she looked at Makino, who could only watch helplessly from the sidelines. _This is all our fault. If we didn't come in to visit her today, we wouldn't have started the fight._

Emmy took a deep breath and ripped her headband off of her head. She shoved it into her apron pocket and closed her eyes. "YOU SHOULD ALL FEEL ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES!" she yelled, "FEEL FEEL PROJECTION: GUILT!"

Small, translucent purple hearts, no bigger than the palm of Emmy's hand, sprouted out from Emmy's body and they zoomed towards the crowd of fighting men, striking each of them in the chest. In an instant, the brawling turned into bawling. It became a cryfest as the men clung onto each other, with Luffy at the center, and lamented everything they harbored in their hearts.

"I should've stayed on the island and become a doctor like my mother wanted me too!" one of them sobbed.

"I shouldn't have taken candy away from that baby," wailed another.

"I shouldn't have swiped that extra serving of meat from Emmy's plate when she wasn't looking yesterday!" Luffy added.

Emmy gave a firm nod of satisfaction and placed her headband back on her head before any emotions could seep into her. Judging by the low level of emotions this group was exerting and the small size of it, she would guess she had about 5 or 10 minutes before their emotions would get the best of her.

Despite having ample time, she still returned her headband to its rightful spot. After all, she had only wanted to get their attention, not to make them suicidal. As soon as the headband made contact with her hair, the men stopped mid-cry and they looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Wh-what just happened?!" they gasped.

"I ate the Feel Feel Fruit," Emmy said, "And I'm an empath so unless you guys want to spend the rest of the night crying and confessing all the bad things you've done, I suggest you all leave!"

"Another Devil Fruit user?!" one of the pirates shrieked.

"Why you-" their captain snarled but Emmy put her hands on her hips and looked sternly at him, as if admonishing a child.

"It doesn't have to be shame, you know," she said, "I can also make you feel lovey dovey. Are you willing to kiss your own crew ON THE LIPS?"

"EHHHH?!" they cried, "That could happen?!"

Emmy shrugged. "I never tried it but it could."

Luffy stifled a laugh. He knew from experience that in order for Emmy to project any emotions, she, herself, would need to feel that way at the same moment. The pirates didn't need to know that, though. It was always a good bluff.

"Okay okay!" the pirate captain said, turning pale when he looked over at his followers, "We concede! We'll leave!"

They scrambled to their feet and started to rush out the door.

"Wait!" Emmy ordered, "Pay your bill and apologize to Makino-san!"

"What?!"

"I could also make you feel so depressed that you kill yourself!" Emmy shouted.

A large bag of coins was dropped on the floor, "We're sorry, Makino-san," they said in unison and then Emmy nodded with approval.

"Very good. You can leave," she said and then turned her attention to Luffy, "You too, Luffy."

"EH?!" Luffy exclaimed, "I am paying Makino with my future treasures! I don't have any money now!"

"I meant apologize to Makino-san!"

"Oh!" Luffy said and he grinned, "Sorry, Makino!'

Instantly, Emmy turned on her heels and did a perfect 90 degree bow to the green haired barmaid. "I am so very sorry, Makino-san. I will take full responsibility of the clean up."

"There's no-" Makino started to protest but Emmy had already straightened up and turned her attention back to her brother.

"Luffy, please head on home and ask Dogra-san if he can make dinner today. I'll come home as soon as I'm done."

"Yosh," Luffy grinned but then he stopped when he got to the door, "Actually, stay here and wait for me to get you. Don't want you walking back up at night by yourself. Those guys could come back for revenge, you know?"

Emmy smiled and nodded her head. "Okay. I'll wait for you here, Luffy."

It turned out Luffy's instincts were right. The pirate crew did try to jump them when they made their way back home. Luckily the rubber boy was able to go all out, now that they were outside of Makino's bar. He made short work of defeating the group. Soon he was walking up the mountain hand in hand with his sister, laughing and planning their adventure together.


	3. I am a Pirate.

_\- Present Day, Luffy: 17, Emmy: 15 -_

"Hey guys! We're leaving now! Don't you want to see us off?!" Luffy called from the front door.

They were dressed for their adventure. Emmy had sewn and put together Luffy's outfit with him in mind. A red vest because sleeves would only hinder his movement and the color matched the ribbon on his hat. Also, given how much her brother liked to run around, Emmy figured it wouldn't hurt to put him in a vibrant color that was easy to spot. Denim shorts so that his legs could extend without ripping anything while the fabric meant less need for washing it on Emmy's end. Even his favorite straw sandals were re-tied and refitted to his feet so that it didn't fly off with a flimsy kick. The only thing Emmy did not touch was the straw hat that hung on his back. It was perfect as it was.

Emmy did not do much for herself. Instead, the only modification she did was to sew a blue fabric over the top of the Sea Prism Stone with a large bow at the center. That way the only person the Sea Prism Stone affected was her.

Emmy bowed to the bandits, despite having Dadan's back turned to them. The woman was refusing to look at them. "It would be nice to properly say goodbye to all of you," Emmy said.

"Whatever," Dadan sniffed as she puffed on her cigarette, "How annoying. The mayor and Makino might not mind but everyone else in the village won't be happy to see us there so just go already!"

"Eh?! Just like that?" Luffy complained and Emmy shot him a helpless smile.

"Fine," Luffy grumbled but then his grin came back to his face, "Thank you for everything!"

The bandits scratched their heads and looked a bit sheepish. "Don't say that. That feels awkward!" Dogra chuckled.

"Your clothes are all folded and left on top of your beds. Dadan-san, I patched some of your old shirts so they should be good as new now. Also, I left a pot of stew simmering in the kitchen. You can just leave it until dinner time and it should be ready to eat by then," Emmy said with another bow.

"Good," Dadan grunted although Emmy could hear a slight waver in her voice, "You finished your chores before leaving."

"Shishishishi," Luffy laughed as the bandits held back their tears of gratitude, "Oh! And before I forget, Dadan!"

"WHAT?!" Dadan snapped back way too quickly for it to be out of sheer annoyance.

"I don't like mountain bandits," Luffy stated, "But I like you guys."

"Please take care of yourselves while we're gone," Emmy added.

Dadan gasped and her cigarette fell onto the floor. "Stop talking nonsense and go away, you bastards!" she blubbered as she honked her nose into a handkerchief that Emmy had embroidered with her initials, "Damn it! Why am I surrounded by such fools?!"

"Oh, are you crying?" Luffy asked bluntly and Emmy shook her head at him. Luffy frowned curiously at his sister, "Should I not have said that?"

"I'm not crying, you idiot!" Dadan yelled.

"It's best to just leave Dadan-san alone," Emmy advised her brother.

The other bandits smiled happily at the pair as they waved one final time before heading off down the mountain.

"Luffy...Should I start calling you 'Captain' now?" Emmy asked.

"Shishishishi. Naw, just call me Luffy. It took forever for me to get you to drop the 'san' that it would be such a waste for you to just go with another name now," Luffy laughed.

"That makes sense," Emmy said.

Luffy threw his hands behind his head as they casually sauntered into town. "You could also drop the formalities when we meet other people. You're a pirate now so you don't have to go with all those rules you're so used to following. Like bowing and calling people by their titles and stuff."

"I can't help it," Emmy sighed, "It was beaten into me ever since I was little. My posture, the way I greet people, everything had to be up to my masters' standards…"

Luffy wrinkled his nose. "Sounds horrible."

"It was," Emmy admitted.

When they got to the docks, it seemed half the town was already waiting for them, including Makino and the mayor. She shot a concerned look at Emmy. "Are you sure you don't want to bring anything?"

Emmy smiled as Luffy hopped into an old, rickety rowboat just big enough for the two of them and a barrel filled with apples. "Luffy said Ace and Sabo sailed off without anything so we have to do that too," she said, "And I don't want to go against tradition."

"Recklessness is not tradition!" the mayor snapped, "Emmy, you're a good girl. You should stay on this island before you ruin your reputation!"

"Oy! Emmy! You ready?" Luffy shouted. His arms stretched up and held tightly to her waist.

"I'm sorry, Mayor-sama," Emmy said with an apologetic smile and then she tugged on Luffy's arm like it was a rope. "All set!"

He pulled her down with too much force and she slammed into his chest. They fell hard into the boat, making it slosh around in the sea.

"AH! Be careful!" the mayor cried from above, "You're going to break the boat before you even set sail!"

"Oy! Why don't you two take my old fishing boat?" one of the friendly villagers suggested, "That thing is going to sink any minute, Luffy!"

"Nope. It's fine," Luffy laughed as he helped Emmy to a seated position and then stood up himself. He spread his arms out with pride and excitement, "This is exactly the type of boat I want to start out with."

He then turned towards the heavens. "SABO!" he screamed, "Watch over us! We're gonna go out to sea now!"

Emmy grinned at the back of Luffy's head. _Sabo-san, please watch over your little brother,_ she wished, _And I'll do my part to keep him happy and healthy as well._

Luffy lowered his hands and he spoke softly so only he and Emmy could hear. "Sabo was first and then Ace...I'm third to set out to sea but I'm going to top them all. Wait for me, Ace! I'll catch up to you soon!"

"What are you doing, Luffy?" a villager shouted from behind him, "Shouting and mumbling. Are you trying out an incantation?"

Emmy laughed and turned to them. "Yes! It's a spell of good luck and adventure!"

"Yosh!" Luffy cheered, "We're going to go now!"

"Goodbye!" the villagers cheered as they helped untie the rope from the docks and Emmy pulled it back into the boat while Luffy grabbed the two oars.

"What a nice day to set sail, right, Emmy?" Luffy grinned.

"En," Emmy said. She was giddy with anticipation and she wondered what their first adventure would be. She wasn't left wondering for very long.

Within a few minutes, the island's notorious Sea King emerged from the waters. It cast a dark shadow over the boat. It's dark red eyes glared down at Emmy and Luffy while it's sharp fangs gleamed in the sunlight. Luffy got up to his feet and lowered his hat over his eyes.

"I'm glad you showed up," Luffy said with a smirk as he began to wind up his arms. Emmy kept her smile on her face as she put her hands over her head and crouched over her knees to get out of Luffy's way, "Let me show you the results of my training the last ten years!"

He pulled back his arm to the point it reached all the way back to the docks. "Gum Gum…PISTOL!"

He sent it flying forward, knocking the Sea King squarely between the eyes. It fell back into the sea with its tongue hanging out its mouth and only the whites of its eyes showing.

"Shishishishi," Luffy said, "Alright, Emmy. I'm done."

Emmy righted herself up as Luffy returned to his seat. He grabbed for the oars and they went back on their way. Emmy stared at the Sea King, the one from Luffy's story. _So that's the one that Shanks-san sacrificed his arm for._

"Hey! Emmy!" Luffy called out while diligently rotating the oars, "What am I feeling right now?"

It was a game Luffy often played with Emmy. Either the power of the headband was mild enough or Emmy's empathic ability was just that strong because despite being able to block off most emotions, Emmy could still sense basic emotions from people close by.

Emmy smiled at her brother. "Excited. Happy."

Then she lowered her head and looked down at her lap, feeling guilty for not sharing the same level of enthusiasm and optimism as her brother. "Luffy," she said quietly, "Do you really think I make a good pirate?"

"You ask this now?" Luffy asked with a laugh, "If I said no, what are you going to do? Jump in the sea and swim back?"

"I guess not," Emmy said and stuck her tongue out sheepishly, "Sorry."

"Besides, Emmy," Luffy said, "You're strong and brave. I wouldn't have brought you if you were a weakling and I hate cowards."

"I'm not brave," Emmy said, "You're the one that's brave."

"Well, then just steal from me then," Luffy grinned, "Since you can feel what other people feel, if you ever get scared or unsure, use my bravery."

Emmy laughed. "That's not how it works, Luffy. I can't control which emotions to tap into. It's like jumping into water. It comes at you all at once."

"Hey," Luffy said as he stopped rowing for a moment and looked around him, "There's no one around us. It's just us two. Why don't you try controlling your powers?"

"Eh?!" Emmy gasped and Luffy nodded eagerly, getting more hyped about his idea with each passing second.

"Yeah! It'll be great! When I first got my power, I didn't know how to aim my fist and it just flew everywhere. Now I can land a punch exactly where I want it to because I kept training. You should try doing that with your power!"

"But what if I hurt you?" Emmy asked.

"How?' Luffy asked, "Do you feel any anger towards me? Or want to attack me?"

"Of course not!" Emmy replied.

"Then you're good because I don't feel that way about you either!" Luffy said, "Come on. Just try it. This is the best time to do it. We're out in the open sea!"

Emmy gulped and slowly reached up to her headband. She took a deep breath and then removed it. Placing it on her apron. She shut her eyes and waited for the floodgates to open. Her whole body tensed when the emotions of Luffy hit her all at once.

She had once thought Garp was the sun but she realized how wrong she was the first time she had felt what Luffy felt. Gramps was nothing compared to the blinding brightness of the unabashed joy and confidence that her brother held within himself.

"Neh?! How is it?!" Luffy asked excitedly and Emmy could feel his heart racing as if she was holding it right in the palm of her hands.

The dazzling cheerfulness exuding from her brother washed over her like a waterfall filling a small, glass pitcher. With her eyes still closed, she felt a large grin spread on her face and it stretched beyond the point she was used to. "Shishishishishishi."

Her eyes widened and she slapped her hands over her mouth. She had just laughed like Luffy and the originator of that laugh was getting a great kick out of it. He fell back from his seat, clutching his belly and laughing hysterically.

A blush grew on Emmy's cheek as she quickly placed her headband back on her head. "I'm sorry," she said, "It just slipped out and-"

"You smiled like me too!" he howled, "I don't think I've seen so many of your teeth at once."

"EH?!" Emmy gasped as she brought her hands to her face, "Did I?! I didn't mean-"

Suddenly, Luffy had righted himself up again and he leaned forward to stare even closely at his sister, as if any minute her face would morph into his. He was practically nose to nose with her. "Hey, Emmy! Do you think that means in the future, you could mimic and impersonate anyone if you tap into their emotions enough?"

Emmy batted her eyes. "I...I don't know," Emmy said, genuinely intrigued by this thought, "I never really tried until now…"

"Shishishishi," Luffy laughed, "That would be so funny! I hope you can do it. Just wait! I'll gather up the crew one by one and you could practice with them! Soon, you'll be able to not need your headband at all."

"We don't know that for sure," Emmy protested, "This is just your theory."

"It'll happen," Luffy said. His eyes became serious although the smile was still on his lips. He reached over and grabbed his sister's hands, "If anyone can do that, it's you, Emmy. After all, you were the first pirate to be chosen by the future King of Pirates!"

Emmy blinked back at him and then she turned her hands so that she was holding his right back. She gave them a squeeze and tried to remember that overwhelming feeling of happiness that Luffy had within him. "You're right. I can do this. I will do this!" she said with as much determination as she could muster, "I won't let you down, Luffy!"

She pulled back her hands and then reached for her headband once more. "Just keep rowing, Luffy and I'll keep training," she said.

"Yosh!" Luffy replied as he grabbed the oars once more, "Just let me know when it's time for lunch."

Emmy smiled when she placed her headband in her apron pocket and started to feet Luffy's growing hunger. "There's apples in the barrel, remember?" she asked.

"Oh yeah!"

"Can you hand me one as well?" she asked as her own stomach started to mimic his gurgling.

* * *

Within just half a day of being a pirate, they had to abandon ship. It must've been some sort of record but Emmy was too busy trying to get her and Luffy comfortable in the barrel to really think about it. Their boat had been caught in a giant whirlpool. Her captain's first order ever was to demand that they hide in the barrel, which only had a handful of apples left, courtesy of Luffy's bottomless stomach.

They crammed themselves into the barrel with their fronts pressed against each other. Luffy had his arms wrapped around her shoulders as she tried to position her knees away from his. They could feel the pull of the whirlpool and they spun round and round. Emmy felt dizzy and she couldn't get her bearings. Suddenly, she felt Luffy pull her in closer and he rested his head on top of hers.

"It's okay. It'll be over soon," he said, "Just close your eyes and sleep. When you wake up, we'll be on a ship."

"Are you sure?" Emmy whispered.

"How am I feeling, Emmy?" he asked back.

Emmy batted her eyes for a moment and then a small smile crossed her lips. "Excited. Calm and...sleepy? How could you be sleepy at a time like this?"

Emmy could feel his grin from the amount of pressure his chin was exerting on her skull as her brother answered. "Because wouldn't that make such a cool story?! We got stuck in a barrel and then when we woke up, we found a ship! Epic start to a pirate adventure, right?"

Emmy laughed despite the situation she was in. "Okay," she said and closed her eyes, "I'll sleep."

 _If we die, at least we died together,_ she thought, _And I died trying to live my life to the fullest. That's all I could ask for._

She could hear Luffy's heart beat against her ear and it was soothing. It was beating so steadily. It wasn't rapid out of excitement or fear. Luffy was at peace and that made Emmy feel the same way. She took a deep breath, focusing on Luffy as her center of gravity and not the spinning barrel.

To her surprise, she was able to fall asleep. She didn't have a bad dream, though. Instead, she dreamed about stormy seas, Luffy's new pirate crew, and even meeting the infamous Portgas D. Ace that Luffy constantly told her about. Luffy was right. Setting out to sea was definitely freeing her of her past.

However, there was no time to fully appreciate that fact because Emmy was snapped awake when her brother kept falling on top of her over and over again. It was like they were in a dryer together, turned on the highest setting.

"Oof!' she grunted as Luffy's elbow hit her hard in the ribs.

She tried to keep Luffy pushed up against his side of his barrel but he was to heavy for someone whose only source of exercise was scrubbing clothes against a washboard. After a couple of failed attempts to hold up Luffy, she had no choice but just to throw her arms around his neck and hold him close to her. The rubber boy was sleeping soundly through all of it. There was no light in the barrel but she could feel slight moisture from the corner of Luffy's mouth. _Don't you dare drool on me, Luffy!_

The barrel's movements were disjointed. One second they were spinning, the next they were bouncing, and then afterwards they were slowly rolling along at a steady pace. _Someone found us!,_ Emmy thought

"Luffy," she hissed, "Wake up!"

"Is it...time for breakfast?" he mumbled.

"No," Emmy said, already knowing what to say next, "But if you wake up, we'll go find food."

Instantly, Luffy's eyes shot wide open but before he could say anything, the barrel was tilted right side up and Luffy found himself upside down with his face flattened against his sister's chest.

"Eh? What's this? It's soft," he said groggily, "A pillow?"

Emmy's eyes widened in horror and her face turned instantly red. "Id...Id...Id…" she stammered, her whole body shook with mortification. Her hand clenched into a fist and she struck her brother hard underneath his chin, sending him flying out the top of the barrel with enough strength to make her Gramps proud. "IDIOT! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

"Whaaaa?" Luffy shouted as he crashed through the ceiling of wherever they were.

Emmy took a couple of deep breaths as she willed herself to calm down. It was an honest mistake, after all, and this was Luffy, her brother. She knew he found hamhocks much more enticing than the female body.

Emmy shook her head and that's when she realized that there was three men gaping at her from her right with a pink haired boy at her left. All of them reeking of surprise and fear. One of them was clad all in blue and white stripes, including the bandana on his head. There was a man with a blue tattoo that stretched from his forehead to the bottom of his third man had shoulder length hair with a green headband holding back his bangs.

She batted her eyes at them, digesting the scene, before bowing politely. "How do you do?"

"Ah, very well, thank you for ask- WAIT!," the three men said in unison, mimicking her gesture until they realized what they were doing. They shot back up to a standing position and snarled at her. "Are you toying with us even though we're pirates?"

"No," she replied calmly and then she looked back up at the ceiling, "Any second now…"

"Huh?" the three men said as they followed her gaze.

"EMMMMYYYYY!" Luffy shouted angrily as he fell back down from the hole in the ceiling and landed right on top of the guy in the blue and white stripes, knocking him out cold. Luffy got up to his feet and dusted off his knees while looking incredulously at the blonde girl, "What the hell was that about? I was already about to wake up!"

"You touched my chest," Emmy stated and Luffy scratched the back of his head.

"Did I? Shishishishi. Sorry," he said casually. He took a step towards her and then paused when his foot touched something squishy. He looked down at the man he had just pancaked. "Eh? What's this guy doing here? He might catch a cold if he sleeps here."

"YOU PUT HIM THERE!" the two still standing men cried as they pulled out a sword and directed one at Emmy while the other at Luffy.

"Excuse me," Emmy said politely, as she turned to the pink haired boy, whose panicked eyes were only enhanced by his big, blue spectacles, "Would you mind telling us where we can find some food?"

"Oh! Food!" Luffy cheered, turning to the pink haired boy as well.

"LISTEN WHEN PEOPLE ARE TALKING!" the two sword wielding pirates yelled, "You damn kids! DIE!"

Emmy kept her face forward as she stared with concern at the pink haired boy, who had thrown his arms over his head and sank to his knees. She didn't even turn when she heard two blades breaking. "Are you alright?" she asked as she climbed out of the barrel and held out a helping hand to the boy.

"What's the big idea?" Luffy asked with genuine curiosity at their two attackers. He was the one who had turned to face the pirates. He had broken the swords with just one swift side punch.

"Eh...wh-wh-wh-who are you?!" the man in the green headband stammered.

Luffy crossed his hands over his chest. "I'm Monkey D. Luffy! Nice to meetcha!"

"MONSTER!" they yelled as they scrambled to the doorway, dragging their unconscious crew member behind them.

"What's with them?" Luffy asked, shooting a confused look at Emmy, hoping his intuitive sister would be able to shed some light.

"Excuse me. Is something the matter?" Emmy asked instead as she poked the timid pink haired boy in the shoulder, "Why are you so scared? Those mean pirates are gone."

"I'm scared for _you_!" the boy shouted as his head popped up and he shakily got up to his feet, "You have to run! If they come back with their friends, you'll both be killed!"

"But man, I sure am hungry," Luffy whined.

"How can you two be so carefree? They have a lot of people up on the decks!" the boy cried.

"That must mean this is a big ship then," Emmy said feeling the slight sway of the sea beneath her feet, "I bet we can find a really nice kitchen or at least a pantry."

"Yahoo!" Luffy cheered as he grabbed Emmy by the wrist and started to run forward, "Come on, Emmy! Let's go!"

"No, I can't let you!" the pink haired boy exclaimed. He dove forward and grabbed onto Luffy's legs but he was no match for the rubber boy's strength. He found himself getting dragged along across the lower deck of the ship by a strange boy with a straw hat that was pulling a girl in an apron behind him.


	4. I am not Defenseless.

After trying a couple of rooms, Luffy, Emmy, and the pink haired boy found themselves in the ship's pantry. Crates of food and bags of rice were crammed into the room with a small space in the center for the three of them to sit comfortably and eat.

"Food! Food Food!" Luffy chanted. He jumped for joy like a kid on Christmas morning, "Ah! Which box should I open first? Emmy! Help me decide!"

Emmy walked over to a nearby crate and sniffed the top of it. Then she turned to Luffy. "I think I smell oranges."

"Wooo!" Luffy said as he easily flung open the lid with a flick of his wrists, splintering the edges of the wood that were attached to iron nails.

"A-a-a-ano," the pink haired boy stammered behind the two as Luffy handed a fruit to Emmy before gulping one down, peel and all, "M-My name is Coby. You're Luffy-san and...Emmy-san, right?"

Emmy turned to look at Coby while snatching Luffy's next orange midair and swiftly handing him her freshly peeled one. She quickly went to work on the new orange without taking her eyes off of Coby. "Yes," she said politely, "Nice to meet you, Coby-san."

Coby's face turned pink at the attention he was suddenly getting from such a pretty girl. "Luffy-san, what you did just now...fighting those men...that was incredible. How did you do that?"

"These oranges are great!" Luffy cheered, not listening to Coby. He wiped the juices off his lips with the back of his hand and then grabbed a new, peeled orange from Emmy. He crammed it into his mouth and he grinned, "So sweet!"

"Is this a pirate ship, Coby-san?" Emmy asked as Luffy casually dumped a whole mound of oranges into her lap.

Coby shook his head. "It's a passenger ship that's being raided by Alvida-sama."

"Well, that doesn't matter," Luffy said with his mouth dribbling from the orange's juices, "Do you know if there are any boats onboard?"

"Our boat got caught in a big whirlpool," Emmy added as she continuously peeled oranges at the same speed her brother was consuming them.

"Eh?!" Coby gasped, "You mean _that_ whirlpool? No one could survive that."

Emmy let out a smile and she turned to her brother, who was rubbing his stomach with a slight frown, "You were right. It does make for an epic story," she said and then she winced. She put her hand on her own stomach, "Please chew your food, Luffy. You're going to give the both of us a stomach ache."

"Okay," Luffy said cheerfully and then turned to Coby, "Are you a pirate too?"

Coby very visibly stiffened and a strained look came over his face. Emmy moved her attention to the oranges in her lap. She didn't want to force the issue and make Coby even more uncomfortable than he already was.

"Eh...well…" Coby said slowly, "Two years ago...I got in a boat on the outskirts of town to go fishing...but it turned out the boat was actually heading towards Alvida's pirate ship. In exchange for my life, I've been forced to be a chore boy."

"Man, you're dumb and stupid," Luffy commented.

"You're brutally honest," Coby sighed as he hung his head in shame.

Emmy was polite enough to hold her tongue.

"If you don't like it, then run away!" Luffy exclaimed.

"I can't! I can't!" Coby said, shaking his head fervently, "Just the thought of Alvida-sama finding me frightens me and makes me weak at the knees."

"Oh, you're a wimp too!" Luffy laughed, "I hate your type."

_Thwack._

Emmy's lesser Fist of Love knocked Luffy across the head as Coby began to cry. "You're too blunt," Emmy said softly as she handed a peeled orange to Coby, "Eat this and you'll feel better."

"Really?" Coby sniffled.

Emmy smiled. "Food. Fight. Feel. Those are the three things Gramps taught me that makes life good. So maybe this little bit of food will bring some good to you."

"Mooffff! Miiighfff! Meef!" Luffy chanted behind her with his mouth stuffed with oranges.

"I envy you two," Coby said as he took the orange from her hand and looked over at Luffy, "If only I had the courage you two had to drift out into sea in a barrel…"

Emmy couldn't help but laugh sheepishly at herself. "If you say it that way, you actually make us sound pretty stupid."

"Sorry!" Coby exclaimed, "I didn't mean that at all, Emmy-san!"

"Don't worry about it. Coming out to sea with Luffy, I've already prepared myself to do very dumb things."

"It's fun, right?" Luffy laughed, not even denying the lack of forethought he has.

"Um...what compelled you to set out onto the sea, Luffy-san?" Coby asked.

Luffy tilted his hat up with his finger and grinned. "I'm going to be the King of Pirates."

Coby's jaw dropped. "Really?!"

"Really."

"A-a-and you, Emmy-san?"

"I'm going on a grand adventure to achieve absolute freedom," she said.

"W-w-w-wait! That makes you two pirates?!" Coby asked.

"Yep," Luffy said.

"What about your crew?"

"Just me and Emmy for now but we're going to look for more. I'm thinking at least 10," Luffy said.

Emmy didn't think it was possible but Coby's jaw dropped even further. He got up to his feet. "The title of King of Pirates is given to the one who obtains everything in the world," he exclaimed.

Emmy and Luffy nodded in unison.

"That means seeking the great treasure of wealth-" Coby continued.

They nodded.

"Fame..."

They nodded.

"And power! And that's the One Piece!" Coby shouted.

Emmy and Luffy nodded again. "Yep," Luffy said.

"Don't just say yep! Pirates all over the world are looking for the One Piece!" Coby cried, "There's no way that you two can stand at the apex of this Great Pirate Era! There's no way! No way!"

Emmy felt a flash of annoyance coming from her brother.

_Bonk!_

Luffy punched Coby hard in the head, sending him back down to his knees.

"Why did you hit me?" Coby whimpered.

"Because," Luffy said as Emmy wiped her sticky hands on a handkerchief before getting up to her feet, "It's not about whether I can or not. I'm going to do it because I want to."

Luffy took the straw hat off his head and looked at it fondly. "I've decided to become the King of Pirates so if I die fighting for that, that's fine with me."

Coby's eyes widened as he stared at Luffy, who put the hat back on his head and leisurely strolled towards the door.

"Now then," Luffy said, "My belly's full. Guess we should go get us a new boat, Emmy!"

Coby looked over at the girl. "And...you, Emmy-san?"

"I agree with Luffy...but I am more like you than you think, Coby-san. I get scared too," she said, "But I still try and do my best, no matter how frightened I get. Because feeling the emptiness of doing nothing is much worse. If I die, I will die for something I chose to fight for. I'm prepared to die for my own free will."

"Oy! Emmy!" Luffy called out from the door, "You coming?"

Emmy nodded and hurriedly went after her brother, "Excuse us, Coby-san."

"Do you think…" Coby asked almost at a whisper, "If I was prepared to die...I could do it?"

"Eh?" Luffy asked as he and Emmy turned to look at the boy.

"Do you think even I could join the navy?" Coby asked.

"Navy?" Emmy repeated.

"Yes!" Coby said as he leapt up to his feet, "Catching bad guys is my dream! It's been my dream ever since I was little! Do you think I can do it?"

"How should I know?" Luffy laughed, "Why are you asking us?"

"I'll do it!" Coby exclaimed with newfound determination, "I'm not going to be a chore boy for the rest of my life! I'll break out of here and catch even Alvida-sama- no! Alvida! Just Alvida!"

Without warning, the ceiling broke and a large figure crashed down into the pantry. It landed onto two bags of flour, creating thick white clouds that exploded up into the air that mixed in with the debris and dust. "You're going to team up with him to catch who now, Coby?!" a deep female voice thundered.

"Eh?" Luffy asked just as swords came stabbing through the door, missing him and Emmy by only a few inches.

The flour and dust settled, revealing the female to be a large woman with thin eyes and even thinner lips. She had on a white cowboy hat and a red bandana tied around her neck. Her black, greasy hair clumped around her shoulders and down her blue and yellow captain's coat. She had a pistol tucked into a purple sash that was tied around her waist and she held a large spiky club over her shoulder.

She snarled at Coby, who was shaking at her feet. She then moved her eyes towards Luffy. Her snarl turned into a smirk "You don't seem to be Zoro, the pirate hunter."

"Zoro?" Luffy asked.

"A notorious pirate hunter," Emmy whispered to her brother, "He's making quite a name for himself these days. Dadan-san loves reading about him in the newspaper."

An excited grin came to the rubber man's face. "He must be strong then…"

"Coby!" the woman demanded, bringing the attention back to her, "Who is the most beautiful of all on these seas?!"

"O-of-of course th-th-that is-" Coby started to stammer.

Luffy pointed a finger at the woman and turned to the pink haired boy. "Who is this chunky lady?"

Emmy bit her lip and pretended to be preoccupied with smoothing her apron while she stifled her laugh. _No. I can't laugh. She's feeling very hurt by his words._

"I can't be sure," Emmy coughed while her lips twitched slightly, "But I believe that would be Alvida, the pirate."

"Ah, Chunkvida," Luffy said with a firm nod and Emmy let out a soft snort before she could help herself. She covered her mouth with her hands and blushed at her lack of composure.

"You...you...you runt!" the female pirate screamed as she lifted her enormous metal club.

"Let's go," Luffy said casually. He pulled Emmy to his side and leapt out of the way just as the club came crashing down at where they were originally standing. He landed right in front of Coby.

"Come on," Emmy said and grabbed Coby by the elbow.

"Eh?!" Coby cried just as Luffy jumped high and through the hole that Avida had originally created, pulling Emmy and Coby with him. He let go of Emmy's hand as soon as they landed on the deck above. There were a group of rough looking pirates waiting for them. They pulled out their swords and glared at Luffy.

"Emmy, stay back. I got this," Luffy grinned and then sprinted forward. He dodged the incoming sword attacks and let his arms and feet extend and stretch everywhere. The men all went after the rubber boy since he was dashing up and down the deck, making himself the center of attention.

"GET THE GIRL! She's with him!" Alvida ordered, popping her head out from the hole.

Two pirates looked over at Emmy and they sneered. "Sorry," they said as they raised their blades and charged at her, "We're not above taking down an unarmed girl."

Emmy calmly took off her headband, stuffed it into her apron pocket and then balled her hands into fists. "I may be unarmed but I'm not defenseless," she said softly and then thrust her two fists forward, "Feel Feel Punch."

_Thwack! Thwack!_

The two men got socked in the jaw by a seemingly phantom hand, snapping their head back and forcing them to stumble back. "What?!" they gasped and rubbed their jaw.

It felt like an actual punch. In fact, one of them had bleeding gums from the unexpected blow but...where did it come from?

Emmy kept her fists steady out in front of her and then she opened them up to put her palms out towards them. "Feel Feel Push," she said and then the two men felt a sudden force shoving them back. It sent the two men tumbling to the side of the ship, colliding with the railing, and falling into the sea below.

"WOOOOO! EMMY! You can do something like that now?!" Luffy cried from behind while effortlessly knocked down a group of men with just a swing of his outstretched leg.

Emmy brought her hand down to her side and took a steadying breath. The bloodlust in this group was small but still creeping through her skin, building up around her heart. Two minutes was her estimate to how long she could manage without her headband. It was more than enough time for a punch. She turned to face her brother and smiled when she saw that they were all strewn out on the floor with her brother standing victoriously at the center.

"Yep! I can also pull things too. I realized it when I was training with you," Emmy said.

She was able to keep her headband on a record of 6 hours without going insane, since it was just her and Luffy. Not only was she able to familiarize herself with Luffy's natural emoting state but the powers of her Devil Fruit were beginning to reveal itself to her, "You're done already?"

"Shishishishishi. I told I got this," Luffy grinned as Emmy put back on her headband.

"Ah," Emmy said and smoothed out her apron.

"L-L-Luffy-san, Emmy-san...who are you two?" Coby stammered.

Luffy grinned and fish hooked his own cheek, stretching it past his shoulder. "I'm a rubber man!"

Emmy bowed. "And I'm an empath. I can make people feel things."

"A rubber person and an empath? You can't be serious," Coby breathed.

"You!" Alvida interrupted and pulled herself out of the hole. She stomped over towards them and pointed her club at Luffy, "You two have eaten a Devil Fruit, haven't you?!"

"Yep!" Luffy said, releasing his cheeks and having it spring back to normal.

"I see. I'd heard the rumors but I guess they really do exist," Alvida sneered, "You also seem pretty skilled. Are you two bounty hunters?"

"We're pirates!" Luffy declared.

"Pirates? Then where is the rest of your crew?" Alvida scoffed.

"It's just me and Emmy for now," Luffy said as he shared a grin with his sister, "But I'll find some more sooner or later."

Alvida laughed. "So you're a pirate. Then that means we're enemies!"

Coby tugged on the corner of Luffy and Emmy's clothes. "L-Luffy-san. Emmy-san...Let's get out of here!" he hissed.

"Why?" Emmy asked.

"You saw her club, right? In these water, she's the most-" Coby started to say but then he stopped. There was no fear in Luffy's eyes. He looked over at Emmy and realized she looked a bit nervous but she was still facing Alvida head on with no signs of fleeing.

" _...I've decided to become the King of Pirates so if I die fighting for that, that's fine with me..."_

" _...I still try and do my best. No matter how scared I get. Because feeling the emptiness of doing nothing is much worse..."_

Their words appeared in his mind and Coby gritted his teeth. _That's right. Both of them are prepared to die for their dreams...So where does that leave me?_

"The most what?" Alvida cackled, grabbing Coby from his thoughts.

He hunched his shoulders as he steeled his nerves. "T-t-t-the most...ugly...fat...old hag EVER!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.

Luffy threw his head back and let out a loud laugh while Emmy bit her lip and looked out into the sea to stifle her own. _It's not polite to laugh. It's not polite to laugh_ , she thought to herself.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Alvida roared.

"I'm going to join the navy and then I'm going to beat the pirates!" Coby yelled, "I'm going to join the navy and catch your lousy ass!"

"You damn brat!" Alvida yelled, heaving her large club over her head.

Coby screamed but inside, he felt slightly calm. _No regrets! I said it! I fought for my dreams!_

"Die!" Alvida swung her club down at the pink haired boy.

Suddenly, Luffy jumped in front of Coby, pushing both him and Emmy down to the ground. "Well said," he grinned just as the club hit him hard over the head.

Coby gasped but Emmy only smoothed out her apron and looked patiently up at Luffy. "Don't worry, Coby-san. That won't work," she said.

From under the club, Luffy grinned.

"WHAT?! Alvida gasped as the side of Luffy's arm hit her club away from him and then stretched out towards the sea's horizon.

"I'm made of rubber," Luffy said, "GUM GUM PISTOL!"

His fist came rocketing forward, hitting Alvida squarely in the ribs and sending her flying out into the distance. The pirates that were left on Alvida's ship shrieked in fear. Beads of sweat poured over their face when Luffy made eye contact with them.

"Hey, give Coby a boat," Luffy ordered, "He's going to join the navy so keep your mouth shut."

"Hai!" they shouted.

Luffy tilted his straw hat over his head and he helped Emmy up to her feet. "We should find a boat too," he said.

Before Emmy could say anything, two cannonballs blasted into the sea just barely missing the ship they were on. The impact made the ship shake and Emmy and Luffy had to grab onto the railings to steady themselves.

"What was that?!" Luffy cried.

"It's the Navy!" Coby gasped as three marine ships came into view.

"Oh, perfect timing!" Luffy laughed, "You should go see them, Coby!"

Then he grabbed Emmy's hand again and leapt over the railing. "We're pirates so we're going to go now! Byeeeeee."

"Good-bye, Coby-san," Emmy called out.

They landed on one of the small lifeboats that hung over the side of the ship.

"I can't just join the navy like this! I'll be captured instead!" Coby cried as he jumped in after them.

Luffy grinned and released the ropes that tied the lifeboat to the ship. The ship plummeted to the sea below, creating a giant splash. Emmy heard a girl's scream. She and Luffy turned to the side to see a girl with short orange hair in another lifeboat. Her boat, though, was packed with cloth sacks and treasure chests. The girl looked at them incredulously.

"Good afternoon," Emmy said with a slight bow of her head. She felt the girl's curiosity, shock, indignation, and...something else. It was very faint and Emmy couldn't make it out, not without removing her headband. She lifted her head and studied the girl for just a second. _Her eyes...it's losing it's light..._

"Come on! We need to get out of here!" Coby interrupted. He got up to his feet and began to prep the sails.

"Shihishishi," Luffy grinned as he grabbed the oars in the meantime and started to row furiously. The boat jerked forward, breaking Emmy's gaze from the girl and she turned to look at Luffy.

"Did you have fun?" he asked.

Emmy smiled and she nodded. "EN!"

The wind picked up and soon their boat was so far off that Alvida and the passenger ship were nothing more than a speck in the distance. Luffy had his head in Emmy's lap and was snoring away loudly while his straw hat rested over his face.

"Erm...Emmy-san?" Coby asked, "If Luffy-san is going after the One Piece, that means you two are going to the Grand Line, right?"

"Yes," Emmy said.

"That place is also referred to as a pirate graveyard, you know?" Coby asked.

"I know," Emmy said and she looked off into the distance, "I've been there before."

"Eh?! You have?!" Coby shrieked, "How did you end up here then?"

"A marine brought me home," Emmy said, leaving many vital and alarming details of her past. She looked down at her sleeping brother and she smiled.

Coby matched her smile. "Marines are good people, aren't they?"

"Some," Emmy said quietly.

Coby sat back and took a closer look at the girl. Then his eyes moved to the boy sleeping by her feet. "Emmy-san, how are you related to Luffy-san?"

"He's my brother."

"EH?! But you two don't resemble each other at all!" Coby cried out in surprise.

Emmy laughed. "We get that a lot."

"Emmy…" Luffy groaned from under his hat, "Food…"

Emmy giggled. "I get that a lot too." She lifted the hat from Luffy's face and smiled at him. "We can't eat until you decide on where to go, _Captain_."

"Ooh!" Luffy cheered as he sat up, "Let's go find that pirate hunter guy!"

"Zoro?" Coby asked, "I heard he's being held prisoner at a navy base."

"Aw, he's a weakling?" Luffy asked with a disappointed frown.

"Nothing of the sort! He's as terrifying as a demon!" Coby exclaimed.

Luffy grinned and Emmy recognized the look on his face. "You want him to join the crew?"

"Shishishi. If he's a good guy," Luffy said.

"EH?!" Coby exclaimed, "You're being reckless!"


	5. I am Not My Past.

"I apologize for my brother. Here you go. I apologize for my brother. Here you go," Emmy repeated, zigzagging down the street. She was hastily paying one vendor after another before they yelled at Luffy for just eating their food and then walking away, "I apologize for my brother. Here you go."

They had arrived at the town of the naval base that the notorious bounty hunter was supposedly imprisoned in. It was a busy town with at least five times the inhabitants as Foosha Village.

How they arrived was completely due to Coby's navigation skills as neither Emmy nor Luffy knew the first thing about steering a ship. Coby had tried to explain the process but Luffy didn't even bother paying any attention and as intuitive Emmy was with people, she was at a loss when it came to ships and mechanics. How to pilot a boat was way over the Monkeys' heads.

"Luffy-san!" Coby warned, running behind the rubber man as Luffy took a bite out of a pear, "You're crazy to want him to join you!"

"Like I said," Luffy replied with his mouthful, "I haven't decided yet. I want to see if he's a good guy or not.

"He's been caught because he's a bad guy!" Coby shouted.

"I apologize for my brother. Here you go," Emmy said breathlessly, finally catching up to Luffy and Coby. She pulled out a coin from her apron pocket and handed it to the fruit vendor before turning to the pink haired boy, "Coby-san, not all prisoners are bad people."

"Yep!" Luffy agreed and munched away on his snack while Coby looked confused by what Emmy had said.

Luffy grinned at the vendor, who seemed in pretty good spirits after being paid, "Oy! Do you know if Zoro's at the base?"

The townspeople within earshot from the three visitors jumped away from them and cried out in fear. "Eh?!"

Emmy batted her eyes and turned to Luffy. "It would seem that the name 'Zoro' is taboo here. We better be careful when mentioning his name."

"Then let's check out the marine base," Luffy said with a shrug. He continued to walk down the city street, "Coby, you could join the Navy from here, right?"

Slowly, the streetlife returned to normal. The citizens probably figuring that Luffy was just asking out of curiosity, which technically he was. Either way, Emmy kept a wary eye on the people around them. Having lived a life where every day depended on someone's mood, Emmy had gotten quite good at studying people's expressions even without having to use her Devil Fruit power. However, she could still feel an underlying tension that she couldn't shake off. She hoped she was just being oversensitive from living in the tranquil Foosha Village but she didn't want to take any chances.

"Y-Yes but I'm not really ready yet," Coby replied, "Rumor has it that a guy named Captain Morgan is at this base."

Once again, the people around them leapt back as if they just confessed to be plague carriers.

"Another taboo name," Emmy stated while Luffy laughed.

"What a funny town," he mused, not even pausing in his steps.

"I don't understand...I get Zoro but why would they jump from a marine's name?" Coby whispered.

"Maybe they're just doing it for laughs," Luffy suggested.

"No one would do that!" Coby shrieked.

When the three of them found their way to the marine base, Coby's eyes were glistening with tears. "I'm finally here!" he cried joyously at the closed off gate.

The base was surrounded by a large stone wall and the gate itself was made of hard metal with the Marine symbol engraved at the front. Wordlessly, Luffy scaled up the wall and hung over the top. He then reached down, wrapped his arm around Emmy's waist, and hoisted her up so she could take a look too.

"AH! Luffy-san! Emmy-san! What in the world are you two doing?!" Coby cried from the ground.

"Do you see him, Emmy?" Luffy asked, ignoring the pink haired boy.

Emmy squinted her blue eyes as she surveyed the grounds. She was used to seeing marine bases, having been to two of them during her first 6 months with Garp. This one was definitely the smallest one she's seen thus far and she was quick to spot the crucifix that stood near the front of the base grounds with the silhouette of a man tied to it.

"That could be him but we'd have to get closer to see," she said and pointed her finger in the man's direction.

"Oh! Maybe!" Luffy shouted. He jumped back down to the ground with Emmy in tow, "Let's go!"

They ran about a quarter along the wall before Luffy brought him and Emmy back up again. "Yep! There he is!" he shouted.

They were directly in front of the crucifix now, which stood only a few meters away. They could see the man more clearly from their new position. His head was lowered and he had a dark green bandana tied around his head so Emmy couldn't see his eyes. He had on a white shirt, just tight enough for Emmy to see the faint traces of solid muscle, a green belly warmer tied tightly around his waist, and pants that matched his bandana.

"Wh-what is he doing out here in the open?!" Coby gasped when he climbed up the wall to take a look himself.

"Bandana...belly warmer…" Emmy murmured, remembering his description in the newspaper, "Yes, that's him."

"No one is guarding him so we can just go over and untie him," Luffy cheered.

"D-Don't be stupid!" Coby exclaimed, "There's no telling what he'll do if we untie him. I bet he'd try to kill you too, Luffy-san!"

"Don't worry. I'm strong," Luffy laughed.

"Oy! You guys!" Zoro called out. His voice was low and gruff, "Go away. You're an eyesore. Get lost!"

Emmy heard the sounds of feet shuffling and she looked over her shoulder to see a little girl coming towards them with a ladder, rope, and parcel in hand. "We have company," Emmy said.

Luffy and Coby looked over and they watched the girl lean the ladder against the wall, use the rope to lower herself down the other side, and then run over to Zoro with her parcel in hand.

"What is she doing?!" Coby shrieked, "Luffy-san! You need to stop her!"

"Don't worry, Coby-san," Emmy said quietly and Coby turned to her.

"Eh?"

"She trusts him," Emmy said, watching the girl stand calmly in front of the swordsman.

"What?" Zoro demanded at the child.

She unwrapped her parcel and held it up for the swordsman to see two clumpy rice balls. "You must be hungry! I made you some onigiri," the girl said and Emmy could hear the smile and pride in her voice.

"Do you wanna get killed, pipsqueak? Get lost," Zoro shot back. Emmy noticed that his tone was not as harsh as it was to them.

"You haven't eaten anything this whole time," the girl said, "Here! This is my first time making it but I worked really hard!"

"I'm not hungry! You're an eyesore. Get the hell outta here!" Zoro snapped, raising his voice. Emmy tilted her head to the side. She didn't feel any real hostility from him. So why was he turning the girl away? For her safety?

"But…" the girl said.

"I don't want 'em! Get lost before I kick your ass!" Zoro seethed.

"It's not nice to be a bully," a nasally voice called out just as the front gates slid open. It revealed a man with a cleft chin and the most unfortunate haircut Emmy had ever seen. His blonde hair was cut into a melon shape with the blunt bangs right above his eyebrows. He wore a gaudy pink and purple suit while two marine flanked his side.

"Thank god! He's with the navy. Now that girl will be safe!" Coby breathed.

The sense of entitlement reeked from the man and even though he did not seem at all a threat to her on the physical level, Emmy still moved herself slightly closer to Luffy. She had been around enough people with special privileges to know not to underestimate people with just a slight taste of power. The man didn't have a strong enough presence as a Noble, much less a Celestial Dragon, but it still made her skin crawl.

Luffy felt Emmy's shift and he paid more attention to the people who had just entered the base. If they made his sister nervous, there had to be a reason if Luffy, himself, couldn't really see it.

"Oh! Those are some tasty looking rice balls!" the suited man said as he grabbed one of the onigiris from the girl and took a big bite.

"Wait! That's not for you!" the girl exclaimed.

The man's eyes bugged out and he threw the onigiri to the floor. "T-t-t-too damn sweet!" he sputtered as he wiped his tongue with his fingers, "This riceball is just full of sugar! Don't you know you're supposed to use salt for rice balls?!"

"But…" the girl protested, "I thought they might taste better sweet…"

The man knocked the other onigiri out of her hand and he began to stomp on her hard work. "Take this! And this! And this!" he shouted as he ground the heel of his foot into the rice balls.

"No," Emmy let out a soft gasp, her eyes fixated on his foot.

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" the girl cried.

Emmy squeezed her eyes shut and covered her ears with her hands, relying solely on Luffy to hold her up now. _Stop! Stop! Stop!_

* * *

_-Flashback: 7 years ago, Emmy: 8, In a Mansion somewhere in the Grand Line-_

"Stop! Stop! Please stop!" Emmy cried as the Noble ground his boot into the back of her hand, flattening it against the rag she was using to wipe down an elaborate golden framed mirror, "It hurts, Boysen-sama!"

"Of course it does, you stupid girl!" Lord Boysen laughed. He was a round man with a pencil thin mustache and slicked back hair, "I wouldn't do it if it doesn't! Take this! And this!"

"Please stop!" Emmy pleaded. The skin was beginning to chafe and her own blood was stinging the increasing wound, "What did I do wrong? Is the mirror not clean to your satisfaction, Boysen-sama?"

From behind her, Lady Boysen joined in her husband's laughter. She was tall and bony with sharpened cheekbones and even sharper nails. "You really are a stupid girl. We're hurting you because we can," Lady Boysen sang out as she brought her high heeled foot down on Emmy's other hand.

The scream that came out of the little girl would strain her throat and cause her to be unable to speak clearly for a week. That was nothing, though, compared to the months it took for the little girl to fully regain the use of her hands.

* * *

"Emmy! Emmy!"

Emmy's eyes flew open at the sound of Luffy's voice and his familiar scent of meat and trees. He had turned her so that he pinned her against the wall to prevent her from falling down. Her head was buried in his shoulder. "I'm...I'm okay…" she breathed, despite shivering all over.

"You're acting like you had a bad dream again. Did you fall asleep?!" he demanded and she shook her head.

"Emmy-san…?" Coby asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm...I'm fine...," she said softly, "I just need a minute. Can you put me down, Luffy?"

Luffy stared curiously at her and then he lowered her down to the floor while he stayed on the wall. He kept his hand still on her waist though, for comfort. Emmy put her hands out and then looked down at the back of them.

There was no scars on her hands. Lord and Lady Boysen had put in enough effort to hide all traces of the torture they liked to inflict on their staff of over 100. That's why the Navy refused to believe Emmy when they charged her for slaughtering the entire household. After all, everyone in the house was dead and yet here was this girl, unscathed with other people's blood splattered on her skin and clothes.

It was right after she was forced to eat the Feel Feel Fruit. The Lord and Lady's sadistic nature had overtaken Emmy, along with the fear, grief, and anger from the rest of the staff. The emotions had fully consumed the child and she lost consciousness.

She didn't know if she actually killed anyone or compelled someone to kill. She couldn't register anything except for sound of her hollow laugh, the smell of blood, and the emotions that took over her heart. By the time she came to, the marines were there for the clean-up. Someone was smart enough to put Sea Prism Stone cuffs on her and that's what woke her up.

She was 11 at the time.

At least, that's what it said in the Lord and Lady's files. Her parents had sold her the day after she was born. Not giving her a name and only leaving her date of birth in the records. Having nothing to call her, the marines took it upon themselves to name her.

They called her Mad Mary.

It was a hideous name but somehow the photo of her in the newspaper attracted the attention of a Celestial Dragon and he requested for her to be the new plaything for his daughter, Delly, earning Emmy the slave mark and Sea Prism Stone cuffs that she was to wear at all times.

Delly was a few years older than Emmy but with the maturity level of someone much younger. She was demanding and had already gone through 6 companions in the span of 4 months. Emmy was one of the three new replacements for her. Their sole duty was to keep Delly entertained and happy.

Their predecessors were all killed for being guilty of insubordination or, more often than not, being unattractive. They were all young girls with long, blonde hair and big, blue eyes. They were known in Mariejois as "Delly Dolls".

Emmy learned during her time with the girl how to smile instead of cry and how to stand up straight despite having broken bones in her body. She was with the girl for two years, skating by only because of her doll-like appearance and her ability to swallow her own emotions.

Then when she was 13, out of sheer luck, the girl decided to auction her off at Sabaody. Delly had gotten into a tiff with another Celestial Dragon on who owned the most valuable slave. Emmy was the chosen one from Delly, who had every intention of buying her back, no matter what the cost. Delly had even planted someone in the audience to help drive up the bidding number so that she could win her little spat.

While Emmy waited for her turn in the back of the Auction House, a fellow captive had broken them out by somehow knocking out all the guards with one blow. It was so quick and so sudden that she never even got his name.

Her luck ran out from there, however. She didn't make it out for five minutes before she was taken by a pirate crew. She was forced to work for them as a servant. Her back was exposed like a trophy, a symbol that they dared to defy the Celestial Dragons. Even though, in actuality, they were fleeing from the Grand Line but too proud to admit they were too scared to go on.

After that it became a blur for Emmy. It was an onslaught of different crews attacking and pillaging each other. She was passed around like a treasure chest. She stopped remembering the captains' names...their Jolly Rogers...They didn't even bother knowing anything about her too. After all, she was just a trophy to them. A lifeless token of their so-called might.

Until finally...she was discovered by Gramps. Of course, given that she wasn't able to find the courage and strength to speak to anyone at the time, she couldn't tell him about her past. The only one she ever spoke to about it was the one who got her to talk after only minutes of meeting each other. Luffy.

* * *

- _Flashback: When Emmy first arrived on Mt. Colubo, Just after Luffy took her -_

The girl stared wide eyed at the boy as she clutched tightly to his leg while he swung from tree to tree using his arms like vines. She kept glancing back at Dadan's house and watched in horror as it became tinier and tinier. Gramps became tinier and tinier.

"P-P-P-Please!" she finally managed to shout out to the boy, "Please take me back!"

Luffy stopped and they dangled in between two trees. He looked down at her and tilted his head to the side. "Eh? Why?!"

"I...I need to thank Gramps," Emmy said breathlessly, "Please, let me thank Gramps before he leaves."

"Ohhhh!" Luffy said and his lips stretched into a wide smile. He sucked in his stomach and puffed out his chest before turning his head in Dadan's direction, "GRAAAAMMPPPPPPPS! EMMY SAYS THANK YOU!"

His voice was so powerful that trees bent over and the ground shook. Emmy was so shocked she lost her grip on his leg and she plummeted down.

"Ahhh!" she shrieked and instantly, Luffy's hand came shooting towards her. It grabbed her by the wrist, catching her just an inch away from the rocky mountain floor. Their eyes locked and then Luffy's eyes became creased from laughing.

"Shishishishi. Don't worry, I got you."

"OYYYYYYYY! EMMY! TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AND REMEMBER LIVE YOUR LIFE TO THE FULLEST! FOOD! FIGHT! FEEL!" Gramps roared back with just as much force as his grandchild, making Emmy swing back and forth from the sound wave.

Emmy marvelled at the lung capacity of her family but her gramps was nowhere near done. His tone changed completely, shifting from happiness to anger.

"YOU SEE THAT, LUFFY?! THAT'S CALLED RESPECT. LEARN A THING OR TWO FROM EMMY! NOW GET BACK HERE AND RECEIVE YOUR PUNISHMENT LIKE A MAN!"

"Yosh, that's our cue," Luffy laughed as he reeled Emmy up by normalizing his arm. Then he shifted Emmy to his back, "Hang on. We're going on an adventure!"

* * *

Emmy took a deep breath and smoothed her apron. _I am no longer a servant. I am no longer Mad Mary. I am not a Delly Doll. I am not my past. I'm a new person. I have a name now. I am Monkey D. Emmy and I have a family. I have Gramps. I have Luffy. SO GET IT TOGETHER, EMMY!_

"AHHHHHH!"

Emmy's head shot up just in time to see the little girl flying overhead. "Eh?!" she gasped.

Instantly, Luffy's two hands reached for the airborne child. He kicked off the back of the wall and grabbed the girl to his chest. They fell down hard onto the ground, skidding forward from the force, while Luffy clutched the girl tightly to his chest.

"Luffy!" Emmy cried as she scrambled to her feet and ran over to her brother. His straw hat lay by his side.

Luffy sat up and released the girl, both of them unharmed. "Th-thanks!" the girl breathed.

"Are you two okay?" Emmy asked and knelt in front of the girl. She began to dust the dirt off the girl's clothes as she checked her arms for any scratches or wounds.

"I'm okay. Thank you," the girl said.

"I'm Emmy. What is your name?"

"Rika…" the girl replied while wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Pleasure to meet you, Rika-chan," Emmy replied, "The one who caught you is my brother, Luffy."

Coby came running over as well. "I can't believe how horrible that guy is!"

"What happened?" Emmy asked.

Luffy shrugged as he put on his head. "Morgan's son destroyed the rice ball and then tossed the girl for making it," he said. He put a hand out and helped Emmy to her feet, "You all good?"

"That's not what happened at all!" Coby exclaimed.

Emmy nodded at Luffy. "I'm fine," she said and turned to Coby, "And I think I understand. The guy in the suit is Captain Morgan's son and he ordered the marines to throw the girl out for helping Zoro?"

"EH?!" Coby cried, "You got that from what Luffy-san said?!"

Emmy smiled. "I am his sister, after all."

"How can that man be so cruel?" Coby asked as Luffy scaled up the ladder the girl had left along the wall.

The smile on Emmy's face disappeared. "Coby-san," she said, "I wish you well on your journey on becoming a marine but there is one thing I hope you'll keep in mind."

"What is it, Emmy-san?" Coby asked.

Emmy bowed her head. "Not all marines are good just like not all pirates are bad. Good people do bad things and bad people do good things. The world is a very complicated place," she said, "But the people you need to look out for the most are the bad people who think they are good."

Coby gulped. "How do I know when I meet someone like that?"

Emmy smiled. "The ones who cling to their titles are usually those types."

"Is that so?" Coby asked, "What do you think, Luffy-sa- AHH! Where did he go?"

"He's finding out if Roronoa Zoro-san is good or bad for himself," Emmy said. She then turned to the little child. "Do you want us to take you back to your house? I know of a way to make a really sweet onigiri that's also really good. Would you like me to teach you?"

"Really?" the girl asked excitedly.

"YOSH!" Luffy called as he jumped over the wall and back with them, "I'm done. Let's go get some food."

"My mother owns the bar in town. If you'd like, I'll take you there!" the girl offered.

"Wooo! That'll be great!" Luffy cheered as he pushed the girl forward, "Lead the way! Lead the way!"

"Luffy," Emmy said, following behind the group, "What happened with Zoro?"

"He asked me to give him the onigiri. I told him it was more of a mudball but he ate it anyway," Luffy said, putting his hands behind his head.

"REALLY?!" the girl gasped. She stopped in her tracks, whirling around, and accidentally knocking her head right into Luffy's chest.

"Ooof!" Luffy grunted. He gripped her shoulders to steady himself and then he grinned down at her. "Yep! He ate every bite and he said it was good."

"I'm so glad!" the girl cheered.

"What an interesting man," Emmy said and Luffy nodded in agreement.

"I guess the rumors of him being evil aren't true," Coby commented.

"Of course it isn't!" the girl shouted, punching her fists in the air for emphasis, "After all, he let himself get crucified in our place."

"What do you mean?" Luffy asked.

The girl lowered her head. "It's all that Helmeppo's fault. He's Captain Morgan's son...Awhile ago, he let his pet run wild and it's a mean looking dog with very sharp teeth. It ran into my mother's bar and started to eat everyone's food. It was scaring people too so I tried to get it to go away by swinging a broom at it. Helmeppo got mad at me and just when the dog was about to attack me, Zoro kicked it away. He was eating at the bar and he didn't need to intervene but he did anyways. Helmeppo yelled at him and threatened him but Zoro kicked him and pointed his sword at Helmeppo."

The girl started to wring her hands together. "Helmeppo said that one word to his dad and he'll have me and my mother executed unless Zoro agrees to be crucified and strung up in the marine base for a month. It's been three weeks since then and Helmeppo comes by everyday to punch and kick Zoro while he's tied up."

The girl covered her face and began to cry. "I...I want to help him but I don't know how. We can't go against Captain Morgan. He'll have me and mother killed."

"I see...and what Captain Morgan says is law in this town and Helmeppo uses that to his benefit," Emmy said as she glanced over at her brother, who was giving her the biggest grin he had, "What?"

"Shishishi. I knew it. Zoro was a good guy," Luffy said and then patted his stomach, "Okay. I'm hungry. Let's get food. Food! Food!"

Emmy wiped the tears from the girl with her apron and she held her hand as they walked.

"Er...Emmy-san?" Coby asked, "What happened back there on the wall? You got really upset from watching Helm-"

"Coby!" Luffy suddenly shouted out without hesitating in his steps.

Coby snapped to attention. "H-h-hai!"

"Let it go," Luffy said, relaxing his tone and then smiling at the pink haired boy before aiming it at his sister, "Emmy's fine now, right?"

Emmy nodded. "Yes. I'm fine. Sorry for alarming you, Coby-san. Helmeppo just reminded me of someone I once knew...but he's not the same person. I know that."

"He's still a scumbag," Luffy said.

"Yes," Emmy agreed, "He's still a scumbag..."

"I wanna kick his ass," Luffy said.

"Only if absolutely necessary! Keep in mind, Zoro-san only has a week left. We don't want to make anything worse," Emmy advised.

"Okay," Luffy said and this time his real grin came back, "Food?"

Emmy nodded. "Food. Although, I might ask to work at the bar for a day or two. I'm running out of money after paying for your eating spree this afternoon…"


	6. I am Part of the Crew.

The sounds of glass breaking sent Luffy, Emmy, Coby, and Rika running into her mother's bar through the back door. They crossed the kitchen and stopped at the doorway which led to the dining area. They spotted Helmeppo sitting at the center of the restaurant with broken glassware on the floor and his feet propped up on the wooden table. His two marine goons stood protectively behind him.

"I'm hungry! Let us all eat for free!" Helmeppo demanded, "Bring me some booze! Quit dawdling! Hurry it up!"

Emmy held Rika by the shoulders and kept her close to her side. Helmeppo hadn't spotted them yet and Emmy didn't want the sight of Rika to irritate the man anymore. They watched as Rika's mother poured Helmeppo a glass of wine.

"Oh, yes!" Helmeppo laughed victoriously, "I've been bored recently so I've decided I'm going to execute Zoro tomorrow. Look forward to it!"

Emmy's hand on Rika tightened, feeling the child's angered impulse to run out to the man. However, Emmy didn't bother to stop the other person who felt the same desire.

_Thwack!_

Luffy's punch sent Helmeppo flying into the back wall. He slumped to the floor while clutching his cheek, which was starting to swell. "Y-y-you hit me?!" he gasped.

"Luffy-san! Please stop!" Coby pleaded running out from the kitchen and holding Luffy back by the arms.

"That guy is scum!" Luffy yelled.

"You know who I am? I'm Captain Morgan's son!" Helmeppo cried, "I'm gonna tell my dad and he's gonna execute you!"

"Fight me yourself!" Luffy challenged.

"Luffy-san, calm down! Are you trying to get on the navy's bad side?" Coby asked.

"I've made up my mind, Coby!" Luffy shouted, "I'm going to have Zoro as part of my crew!"

"Wh-wh-what nonsense!" Helmeppo sputtered as he started to back away towards the door, "I'll have you and him both executed tomorrow! I'm going to tell my dad right now!"

With that he raced out of the restaurant and as soon as the door swung shut Emmy released Rika.

"LUFFY!" Rika exclaimed, bursting forth and throwing her arms around Luffy's leg, "Are you going to be okay?"

"Rika?!" her mother gasped from behind the bar, "Do you know this man?"

Emmy stepped out from the kitchen and she bowed to the woman. "Good afternoon. My name is Emmy and that is my brother, Luffy. We found your daughter by the marine base and had thought it best to bring her home."

"Ummm…." Rika's mother said, her eyes going back and forth between Emmy and Luffy, unsure of who to address first, "Thank you?"

"It was our pleasure," Emmy said and then turned to her brother, "So you've decided?"

Luffy nodded. "Yep. He's going to be our nakama."

"Okay. Then do what you gotta do," Emmy said, "I'll wait for you and Zoro-san here."

Luffy grinned. "Shishishishi. When he joins, you should just call him Zoro. He'll be our nakama after all!" he said with a wave of his hand and then he ran through the backdoor to go back to the marine base the same way they came.

"Emmy-san!" Coby cried, "You're not going to stop him? Luffy-san is going to get himself killed!"

"Could you?" Emmy asked and Coby fell silent. Emmy smiled and then turned to Rika's mother, "If possible, I would like to work here for the day. I am in need of some money and would gladly clean and cook here for the rest of the day. You can pay me as you see fit."

Rika's mother blinked back at her. "Erm...I guess so."

Emmy bowed her head and went back to the kitchen. She came out almost immediately with a broom and dust bin in hand. She started to clean up the glass shards around the table Helmeppo previously occupied.

Emmy glanced up and saw that the orange haired girl from the passenger ship was now sitting at the table next to her. She stood up and bowed her head. "Pleasure seeing you again, Miss."

"I don't think we've ever met," the girl said coldly and got up to her feet.

"That is true," Emmy said, "I am Monk-"

"I don't care," the girl said and briskly walked towards the door.

"Miss!" Emmy called out and the girl stopped to glare back at her.

"What?"

"You need to settle your bill," Emmy said and was shocked to feel the girl's irritation intensify three fold. The girl reached into the pocket of her orange skirt and tossed a handful of coins at Emmy, who caught it all with her dustbin. Emmy smiled and bowed her head, "Thank you. Please come again."

"Whatever," the girl huffed and marched out of the room.

Emmy sighed and set the dustbin on the table. She carefully separated the coins from the glass pieces and then handed them to Rika's mother. "Here you go. I hope that's enough."

She then looked up and glanced around the room. _No pink…_

"Where's Coby-san?" she asked.

"He ran off when you asked him to stop Luffy-san," Rika said.

Emmy tilted her head to the side. "I never asked him that."

Rika nodded. "Yes, you did. He asked if you were going to stop Luffy-san and you said 'Could you'?"

Emmy's jaw dropped. "I meant it as a hypothetical! No one could actually stop Luffy!"

Emmy hurriedly finished up scooping up the last of the glass shards. She raced into the kitchen and dumped it into the trash. She wiped her hands on her apron and bowed apologetically to Rika's mother. "I'm sorry! I need to take a break. I'll be back in thirty minutes!"

'Wha-"

"Thirty minutes!" Emmy promised as she dashed off towards the marine base. Thankfully, Rika's ladder was still left on the wall. She found Coby with Zoro, busily trying to untie one of his arms from the crucifix.

"Coby-san! What are you doing?!" she asked. She ran to Zoro's other arm and began to pull at the ropes, "If the marines catch you here, they'll never let you join!"

"Who the hell are you?!" Zoro cried incredulously, "What is with you people? Just leave me alone!"

"I'll make proper introductions later," Emmy said as she worked on freeing her first knot, "But right now, I assume Luffy's been here?"

"You're with that idiot?" Zoro scoffed, "Yeah. He said he was going to get my swords for me and then I was supposed to join his pirate crew when he's done. You guys shouldn't be helping me! You'll all get killed for this, you know!"

"I can't stand to watch the Navy like this. I want to be an admirable marine," Coby said.

"Stop it! I can't escape," Zoro shouted, "I only have ten days until-"

"You're going to be executed tomorrow!" Coby interrupted.

"WHAT?!"

"Helmeppo-san never intended to fulfill your agreement," Emmy explained, "When we found out, Luffy got angry and punched him."

"He did?!" Zoro asked.

Emmy nodded. "And now the Navy is after him too."

"But what about you?" Zoro demanded, "Why are you getting yourself involved?"

Emmy smiled as she pulled apart the knot and began to unravel the bindings along Zoro's left arm. "The Navy is about to execute my captain and my potential crew mate. Also, one of my friends is risking his dream to help. I would regret it if I didn't lend a hand."

"Eh?" Both Coby and Zoro gaped at her but with different emotions.

"I am not your crew mate!" Zoro snarled.

"You...think of me as a friend, Emmy-san?!" Coby gasped.

"There!" Emmy said, fully freeing Zoro's arm, and she began to work around the rope tied around his waist, "Zoro-san, you have an extraordinary sense of honor and I can feel that deep down, you're slightly thankful for us trying to save you."

She looked up and smiled at his perplexed expression. "So I hope you'll honor that sense of gratitude and help Luffy with the marines."

"It's the end of the line! Hold it right there!" came a gruff voice.

They turned to see a group of marines aiming their guns at them with a burly man emerging behind them. He stood a whole two feet taller than everyone. He had a metal jaw and a giant axe for his right hand. He was clearly the man in charge, Captain Morgan. The level of elitism in Helmeppo was nothing compared to that of his father. Emmy gulped and felt a chill run down her spine.

"For the treachery against me, I'll execute you right now!" the metal jaw called out.

"Ehhhhhh?!" Coby cried.

"This is some interesting stuff you guys pulled. Were you two and that straw hat kid planning a coup or something?" Morgan asked.

"I've always acted alone!" Zoro growled back, "Unlike arrogant bastards like you who use soldiers as cronies!"

"Roronoa Zoro! Don't you dare underestimate me. You may be strong but before my authority, you're good as scum!" Captain Morgan shouted, "Men! Ready your weapons!"

"Zoro-san...Coby-san…" Emmy said softly for only those two to hear while the marines shifted their guns in place. "I apologize for what is about to happen. This may or may not hit you."

"Eh?" the two men asked as Emmy swiftly flicked her headband off of her head. It fell by her feet and she closed her eyes.

"What do you mean MAY hit me?!" Zoro demanded.

"Aim!"

Emmy's eyes shot open and she drew in a deep breath. "Feel Feel Projection: FEAR!"

"Fi-"

Translucent yellow hearts sprouted out sporadically from Emmy and they zoomed towards the firing squad, striking each of them in the chest just before they could pull the trigger. The hearts also went backwards and hit Zoro and Coby.

"AHHHHHHHH!" the men cried as they dropped their weapons and sank to their knees. Tear and snot came out of their noses and some of them even soiled their own uniform.

"So scary! Roronoa Zoro is scary!" they cried, "Captain Morgan is scary! Everything is scary!"

"Ahhh! Somebody save me!" the axe hand squealed like a little girl.

Zoro, himself, was visibly shaking against his crucifix with his teeth clenched so tightly. All his veins were pressed up against his neck while Coby looked no different than before; trembling with fluids dripping out of his nose and eyes.

Emmy doubled over on the ground. She was desperately trying to hold onto her sense of self. She couldn't put back her headband until Luffy showed up. This power was only a stalling tactic. It was useless if it wasn't paired with an attack.

 _Come on, Luffy_ , she thought as she began to feel all the others' emotions pool into her. It wasn't just the men around her, but the ones inside the base as well. Her range was also steadily expanding. She felt the sense of duty, anger, joy, but most of all, fear. The whole town was caked in it.

Without her headband, Emmy could now sense the full extent of the underlying tension she had felt when she first came to this place. She realized it would only take a matter of seconds for it to completely take over her. _Please get here in time...I'm so scared...Luffy...I'm scared. Please...Please...Please…_

Her eyes squeezed shut and she saw flashes of Lord and Lady Boysen's parlor room. Their twisted smiles. The sounds of her own screams started to come out along with the voice of Delly ordering two of the girls to kill each other just because they didn't do her makeup right that day.

 _Stop..._ Emmy thought as she clutched her head. In the corner of her mind, a ball of brightness came rushing towards her like a shooting star. It was a familiar brightness and Emmy instantly knew what it was, _Luffy...Get here...now!_

Just then, a window broke from high above and the ball of joy came barreling down at her.

"I'm here! Coby! Zoro! Emmy!"

Familiar sandaled feet landed right in front of her and Luffy squatted down so they were eye to eye. He grinned while picking her headband up by the bow and placed it on her head. Instantly, the feelings cleared away and Emmy gasped for air, as if she had been drowning in water. She raised her head and looked up at Luffy's beaming face.

"Shishishishi," Luffy said, "You did good, Emmy! I can take it from here."

"Wh...what the hell did you do to me? Are you a devil woman?" Zoro panted, snapping back to reality.

"I...I...ate the Feel Feel Fruit," Emmy said breathing just as heavily as the swordsman, "I'm an empath."

"Wh-what are you all doing?! Pick up your weapons and fire!" Captain Morgan shouted, pretending that his little episode never happened, "FIRE!"

The men scrambled to their feet, picked up their gun, and pulled the trigger.

"That won't work!" Luffy laughed as he stood in front of Zoro, Emmy, and Coby with his arms out, taking all the bullets.

"You-," Zoro shouted and Emmy winced at the flash of surprise that burst from the swordsman and pink haired boy. She was already pretty raw from the emotional hurricane so she was more sensitive than ever to the mood around her.

"Luffy-san!" Coby screamed.

The bullets stretched Luffy's body back but it did not puncture. He grinned and sent them all flying back with the same intensity. "Hahhahaha," he laughed, "I told you I was strong, Zoro!"

"W-Who the hell are you?!" Zoro gasped.

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy. The man who's going to be the King of Pirates," Luffy grinned as Emmy got up to her feet.

"Wh-What? The King of Pirates?! Do you even know what that means?!" Zoro demanded.

"The King of Pirates is the King of Pirates. Are there any other meanings?" Luffy laughed.

"I was shocked too...but Luffy-san is serious! He intends to become the King of Pirates and obtain the One Piece!" Coby cheered in support.

"Shishishishi," Luffy laughed and then pulled the katanas off his back, "Here! I found these three swords but I didn't know which one was yours."

"All three are mine," Zoro said, "I use the Three Sword Style."

"Okay," Luffy said without showing an ounce of surprise or doubt from the swordsman's words, "You'll take 'em, right? If we fight together now, you'll be a government-defying villain. Would you prefer that or being killed by the Navy like this?"

"Am I making a deal with a devil?" Zoro smirked, "Whatever. I'll be your pirate. Better than dying here."

"Hurray! So you'll join our crew! Emmy! We got someone on our crew! Woo-hoo! This is great!" Luffy cheered as he held Zoro's swords above his head and danced around his sister.

"Okay! Okay! Untie these ropes now!" Zoro shouted.

"Here," Emmy said and tried to pull out one of his katanas but then stumbled from the weight of it. She had reached for the one with the white hilt, since it was the lowest one that Luffy was holding up. She almost dropped the blade on her brother's head.

"AH! Don't cut _me_ , Emmy!" Luffy cried as he reached over to help support Emmy's hold and push the blade back into its scabbard.

"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!" Zoro sputtered, "Be careful with that! Don't touch it if you can't handle it!"

"Sorry!" Emmy said and bowed her apologetically, "I was thinking we could use it to saw the ropes off."

"THOSE ARE NOT SAWS!" Zoro snapped, "Forget it! I have one arm free just give me one of them."

'Which one?" Luffy asked.

"ANY ONE!" Zoro shouted just as the marines came charging at them with their own swords.

"AH! Here!" Luffy yelled pushing all three swords into Zoro's one free hand, making all three of them fall to the ground.

"IDIOT! What part of _one_ do you not understand?"

"HURRY!" Emmy said as the marines closed in on them and raised their swords.

"HERE!" Luffy shouted, swiping a black hilted katana and shoving it at Zoro.

"AHHHHHH!" the marines roared as they swung their swords down.

_Thwack! Thwack! Shing!_

In a blink of an eye, Zoro cut his two remaining binds, reached for his two remaining swords, and blocked off all of the marine's blades with his own.

"Whoa," Emmy breathed.

"SO COOL!" Luffy hollered at the sight of Zoro wielding one sword in each hand and a bonus one in his mouth. His back was to the marines. He held them at bay while he smirked at the rubber man.

"I'll be a pirate. I already agreed to it," Zoro said, "And now I'm officially a criminal, now that I've fought the Navy...But I'll tell you one thing. I'm only going with you to fulfill _my_ ambition."

"Ambition?" Luffy asked.

"To be the world's greatest swordsman! If I wind up having to give that up, you'd better accept responsibility and apologize to me!"

"The world's greatest swordsman? That's good," Luffy marvelled, "The King of Pirates would need no less than that on his crew."

"Tch, you sure talk big," Zoro scoffed, "But whether or not I'm a criminal, I'll make sure to spread my name across the world."

"What're you standing around for?! Slaughter them this instant!" Captain Morgan ordered.

"Emmy, Zoro, duck!" Luffy shouted as he leaned forward and stretched his leg back. Emmy grabbed Coby and pulled him down with her.

"GUM GUM WHIP!" Luffy yelled as he swung his leg out, clotheslining the group of standing marines.

"What the hell are you?" Zoro demanded as Luffy's leg snapped back into place.

He flexed his knees and then rotated his ankles. "I ate the Gum Gum Fruit. I'm a rubber man."

"Captain! We don't stand a chance against them!" one of the marines shouted, "These guys are crazy!"

"We can't even handle Zoro by himself let alone two Devil Fruit users!"

Coby got up to his feet but Emmy stayed crouched low on the ground. She was shaking all over. Her eyes unmoving from Captain Morgan. His anger had spiked to the point that even without her headband, she could feel the intensity of his wrath.

"This...is a direct order," Captain Morgan seethed to his troops, "Everyone who spouted weakness just now must now shoot themselves in their head! I have no need for weak soldiers!"

Emmy watched in horror as one by one, the marines pointed their own weapons at their temple. It was an all too familiar scene for Emmy. It was a common order from Delly to those dolls who she felt displeased with.

"Please stop!" she screamed, "He is not your master! You don't have to listen to him! You don't-"

"IDIOT! I AM THE HIGHEST RANKED PERSON ON THIS ISLAND WHICH PUTS ME IN CHARGE! I _AM_ THEIR MASTER!" Captain Morgan roared and Emmy flinched.

"SHUUUUUUUT UPPPPPPPP!" Luffy's roar pierced the air as he charged at the marine with his arm swinging. "You're freaking Emmy out, you bastard!"

His punch rocketed to Captain Morgan, who blocked it with his axe but was pushed back several feet from the strength of Luffy's blow. Luffy glanced over his shoulder and grinned at Emmy. "Don't worry. I got this."

"Rankless, low status bums have no right whatsoever to defy me!" Captain Morgan shouted, "I am Navy Captain, 'Axe Hand' Morgan!"

"A man that clings to his title," Coby whispered to himself. He looked down at Emmy, who had gotten up to a kneeling position with her apron balled up in her fists.

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy. Nice to meetcha!" Luffy said just as Captain Morgan's axe came swinging down at him. It wedged into the hard ground, creating a split that was several meters long.

While still in air, Luffy brought his knees to his chest and then jetted out his two feet towards the captain. It landed right in his metal jaw and sent the marine captain falling on his back. He quickly rolled off and raised his axe.

"DIE!"

"No thanks," Luffy grinned and did a backflip, kicking the captain straight in the head. He then grabbed the captain by the lapels and punched him hard in the face, "You call yourself a marine?! You've destroyed Coby's dream!"

"Hold it, Straw Hat! Look over here!"

Luffy's fist froze in mid air and he glanced up. His eyes narrowed when he saw Helmeppo holding a trembling gun to Emmy's head.

"Pay attention! I have a hostage here!" Helmeppo shouted, "If you value her life, then don't move!"

"Ah! Emmy-san!" Coby exclaimed, "Don't take her! Point your gun at me! I'm prepared to die!"

Emmy's eyes moved from Zoro to Luffy. Her face was pale but her expression was calm and she smiled softly at Luffy when their eyes met. "It's okay, Coby-san. I won't die. I have my nakama."

Luffy grinned and got up to his feet. "Give it up, stupid son. Both Coby and Emmy aren't even afraid of you anymore."

"SHUT UP!" Helmeppo said and then grabbed Emmy from behind, holding her body in front of his, "I'll shoot her! I really will!"

Luffy wound up his arm and bent his legs. A shadow cast over him in the shape of an axe, but he didn't even bat an eye while Zoro refitted his katana into his mouth. "Gum Gum-"

"I am Navy Captain 'Axe Hand' Morgan!" his assailant called from behind him.

"DAD! Kill him! Quick!" Helmeppo shouted.

"Pistol!"

Luffy's fist sailed right by Emmy's head, knocking the gun out of the way and smacking it hard against Helmeppo's face along with the punch. Helmeppo soared all the way to the other side of the base. Emmy smoothed out her apron and smiled at the scene behind her brother.

"Thank you, Zoro-san," she said.

Captain Morgan fell back with his two large slashes across his chest. From the fallen marine's side, Zoro sheathed his sword.

"Very nice," Luffy grinned.

"My pleasure, Captain," Zoro answered back.

The marines still standing began to murmur to each other and they were dumbfounded by the scene in front of them. The unfathomable happened. The strong Captain Morgan that had ruled the island with an iron hand was defeated.

"If anyone else still wants to catch us, come forward!" Zoro demanded.

"If not," Emmy called out, "Please feel relieved. You're free! Captain Morgan's reign is over!"

The men looked at each other and then a loud cheer burst forth. They threw their weapons and hats in the air. "Hurray! It's over! It's really over!"

"Why are they celebrating?" Luffy asked his sister.

"They were all afraid of Captain Morgan," Emmy said, "He controlled his men through fear. The entire town too."

"Ahhh," Zoro sighed as he fell unto his back.

"Zoro! Are you okay?!" Luffy cried.

"He's just hungry," Emmy said and then she straightened up a little more, "Oh! Which reminds me...I need to get back to work."

"Work?" Luffy asked.

Emmy nodded. "We need more money and unless we get our hands on some treasure, I'll have to earn some. Come on. Let's take Zoro-san back to the bar. You guys can grab a bite to eat while I work."

"HURRAY! FOOD!"


	7. I am an Adventurer.

Zoro almost choked on his fourth plate of food. "WHAT?! The crew is only you, me, and her?!"

He stared at Luffy as if seeing him for the first time. The boy in the straw hat was helping himself to his sixth plate of food while sitting at the edge of his chair, directly across from the swordsman. Then Zoro moved his attention to the blonde girl, who was busy washing glasses at the sink behind the bar.

"Yep! You, me, and Emmy!" Luffy said, stuffing a forkful of steak into his mouth.

"We're going to call just us three a pirate crew?!" Zoro demanded.

"What's wrong with that? We're strong," Luffy replied. He tilted his head and frowned at the swordsman. The captain was at a loss at what the swordsman was so worried about.

Zoro narrowed his eyes at the boy. They were definitely not powerless. Zoro gave him that much. Even the girl was not someone to underestimate. Even though, he still wasn't quite sure what had came over him, he knew for sure whatever magic or power the girl possessed was not something to ignore.

One second he was bracing himself to be gunned down by the marines, the next he was facing his worst nightmare - bleeding to death from a cowardly sword wound in the back as Kuina watches him with disgust and disappointment. Zoro instinctively gulped just reliving that moment in his mind.

"Fine," he grunted, "What about a ship? We at least have a ship right?"

"Yes," Emmy said and she went to the window at the front of the restaurant. She opened it and pointed her finger to the dock a couple streets away, "You can see it right from here."

Zoro couldn't see a thing from his chair so he went over to the window and leaned out of it. "I don't see anything except for a small fishing boat. Where's your ship?"

"That _is_ our ship, Zoro-san," Emmy said with a proud smile, "It's the first ship we ever commandeered!"

"You have got to be kidding!" Zoro shouted, almost bumping his head against the window frame.

"Someday we'll get an even bigger ship!" Luffy cheered, "And we'll hang a big pirate flag on that one!"

"And how are you planning to make that happen?" Zoro asked as he stood back up and pressed his fingers against his temples. He had a hunch for what his new captain was going to say.

"I don't know. I figured I'd find one eventually," Luffy replied.

"I thought so...Ugh. Did I really make this guy my captain?" Zoro grumbled.

"We'll get more crew members," Luffy said enthusiastically, "Once we head for the Grand LIne."

Coby spat out the orange juice he was drinking. "What?! With just the three of you? There's no way that could happen!"

"I've heard patrons from this bar say that whoever enters the Grand Line never comes out alive," Rika's mother said worriedly.

"But the One Piece is somewhere there," Luffy grinned.

"I guess it can't be helped," Zoro said with a shrug. He sighed and made his way back to the table.

Emmy smiled and started to clear the empty plates away. Between Zoro and Luffy, they had managed to create a tower of dirty dishes in a short amount of time. "You shouldn't worry about us, Coby-san."

"I should!" Coby said, jumping out of his seat and clenching his fists to his side, "Emmy-san! What's wrong with being worried for my friends?"

Then a blush came to his cheeks when he realized what he had said and he looked sheepishly at Luffy. "It is okay that I consider you my friend right, Luffy-san?"

Luffy grinned. "Yeah! We're gonna part ways but we'll always be friends."

Coby let out a happy sigh of relief and his shoulders relaxed. "Since I was a little kid, I've never had friends...Much less anyone who would fight for my sake but more than anything, I never fought for anything myself."

He then brought his fists up to his chin and he smiled determinedly at the three pirates. "But you three taught me how to live for my beliefs! I've decided to make my childhood dream come true. I'm going to join the marines!"

"You should worry about yourself then," Zoro advised solemnly, "Even if you were only just a chore boy on Alvida's ship, you did stay with her for two whole years. Don't underestimate the Navy's information gathering skills. If they find out about that, you'll never get to join."

"N-N-Now that you mention it…" Coby said, his body tensing up once again.

The front door of the bar swung open and a group of marines came marching in. "Pardon me," the leader of the group said, walking straight up to where Luffy and Zoro were sitting, "Is it true that you are pirates?"

Luffy nodded. "Yeah," he said good naturedly, "We just gained another member so we're officially a pirate group now."

"We appreciate that you saved our base and this town from that tyrant!" the marine said, "However, now that we know you three are pirates, as the Navy, we cannot stand quietly by. You will leave this town at once!"

"What?" Rika gasped and Emmy put a hand on the girl's shoulder to comfort her while balancing the tower of plates with the other. Rika looked up at the blonde, who smiled back at her.

"It's fine," Emmy said.

"Out of obligation," the marine continued, "We will refrain from contacting headquarters."

The townspeople nearby were not as understanding as the pirates. "Oy! What are you guys saying? Even you were subdued and terrified of Morgan! These guys saved us! We owe them our lives!" they yelled.

"We should go," Luffy said, keeping the smile on his face, "Thanks for the food, lady!"

Emmy bowed politely at Rika's mother and set the tower of plates down on the bar. Then she smoothed her hands over her apron and patted Rika on the head. "Be good, Rika-chan. I look forward to eating your onigiri one day."

"You guys are leaving already?" Rika said disappointedly as the three pirates headed for the door.

"Yep," Luffy said, grabbing a satchel of food Rika's mother said they could take with him.

The leader of the marine narrowed his eyes at Coby. "What about you? Aren't you part of their crew?"

"Eh?" Coby gasped.

"Well?" the marine demanded and then turned to Luffy, "Is he part of your crew?"

Luffy grinned. "I know what he's done until now."

Coby gaped at Luffy. _You wouldn't?!_

Luffy handed the satchel to Emmy and then held his arms out in front of him. "There was this _really_ fat pirate lady and...what was the word that I used to describe her, Emmy?"

"Chunky," Emmy said.

"Yep! Chunky! I think her name was Ahi...Ahi Tuna! She had this iron club and she was an ugly old hag!"

 _You can't tell them, Luffy-san! Please don't tell them!,_ Coby thought in horror as he watched Luffy walk towards him and then began poking him in the head.

"And this guy right here...For two whole years, he was-," Luffy taunted but then before he could finish exposing Coby, the pink haired boy landed a punch across Luffy's face.

"AH!" Rika and the townspeople gasped.

Luffy rubbed his chin with the back of his hand and he smirked. "Now you've done it, you bastard."

He lunged forward and he and Coby started to beat at each other, with Luffy clearly dominating the fight. The boys knocked into the bar causing the tower of plates to fall but before it could crash onto the ground, it was righted up by Emmy.

"Stop that!" the marine demanded, "We won't allow you to cause trouble in this town!"

"Oy! You're going overboard. That's enough," Zoro said, grabbing onto Luffy's collar to pull his captain away while a scuffed up Coby fell onto his back.

"Let's go," Emmy agreed as she picked back up the satchel she had to drop to catch the plates.

"It's clear you three are not friends with this guy," the marine leader said, "So he can stay but the rest of you should leave immediately."

The three pirates headed for the dock. No one followed them even though all the townspeople were watching them go. When they finally reached their ship, there was no one around and Zoro let out a snort.

"That was a pretty lame act, Luffy. I wouldn't be surprised if they saw through it," he said.

"Coby'll handle the rest," Luffy replied, "I'm sure he can manage it."

Zoro smirked. "Leaving this town because we're hated and unable to turn back...it's very pirate-like."

Luffy laughed. "I guess that's true."

"We'll have to get used to it," Emmy said as Luffy helped her step into the ship. Then he began to untie the rope from the dock cleat.

"Luffy-san!'

They turned around to see Coby running after them with Rika and her mother following closely behind. Coby stood at attention and saluted them. "Thank you! I'll never forget what you've done for me!"

"I've never heard of a pirate being thanked by a marine," Zoro quipped.

"Coby-san, if you're going to do a marine salute, your arm and your chin should be higher," Emmy called out, "And your other arm should be folded behind your back!"

"Eh?!"

Even Luffy gaped at his sister and she batted her eyes at him. "I was on Gramps' ship for 6 months after all."

"Shishishishi," Luffy laughed, "Oh yeah. I forgot."

"What?" Zoro asked as he climbed into the boat and then quickly Luffy jumped in too with the rope in hand.

"Not important," Emmy said as she released the sails.

The wind started to pick up and the boat moved away from the island. Luffy stood at the edge and waved his arms furiously in the air. "Let's meet again someday, Coby!" he shouted.

"Bye!" Rika called out and Emmy happily waved goodbye to them.

The marines appeared at the docks and they all stood at attention. "All hands, salute!" the leader commanded and the group sent the pirates off with a firm salute.

"See ya!" Luffy cheered and then he turned to face the front. He put a hand on his hat and grinned into the sun, "Alright! Our pirate crew is setting sail and I will become the King of Pirates!"

Zoro leaned forward from his seated position. "You seem obsessed with becoming the King of Pirates. What's your reason?"

"No particular reason," Luffy replied, "I just swore to a certain man that I will gather up a great crew, find the world's greatest treasure, and become the King of Pirates!"

He lifted his straw hat from his head and looked at it fondly. "I swore it on this hat!"

"I see," Zoro said and he turned to Emmy, "And you? I've heard Coby's story. I just heard Luffy's story. What's yours, Emmy?"

"In a nutshell," Emmy said and smoothed out her apron, "I'm here for the adventure."

"That's it?" Zoro asked.

"Should there be anything else?" Emmy asked back.

"You just don't seem like the adventuring type," Zoro said, raising an eyebrow at her maid-like attire.

"Oy. Don't underestimate Emmy!" Luffy said, leaping in between the two and he threw an arm around his sister, "She's tougher than me at times!"

"Really?" Zoro asked skeptically.

Emmy bowed her head. "I try," she said.

"Don't be so modest!" Luffy laughed, "Emmy's lived most of her life in the Grand Line!"

"EH?!" Both Zoro and Emmy cried at the same time.

"Luffy, you're not supposed to blurt that out," Emmy said.

"You're from the Grand Line?!" Zoro asked.

Luffy grinned, happy at how well they all got along, "It's just Zoro, Emmy. He's our nakama now. We can tell him these things," he said.

"You're right," Emmy sighed, "I mean, I did tell Coby-san this too so it's not that big of a deal. I guess I was just caught off guard with how you just said it without warning."

She smoothed her apron again and smiled at Zoro. "I used to be a servant for a wealthy family in the Grand Line but then our Gramps found me and brought me to live with Luffy."

Zoro raised an eyebrow and he studied the two siblings. "You two aren't actually blood related, are you?"

Emmy looked hesitantly at Luffy, who still had his happy smile on his face.

"It's fine. We can trust him," Luffy said, "He's a good guy."

Emmy looked back at Zoro. "No...we're not."

Zoro nodded. "I get it. You two are married. Shotgun wedding and parents are making you pretend you're brother and sister until you guys are older?"

"What? Don't be ridiculous," Emmy jerked back so forcefully she almost fell over the side of the boat.

Luffy wrinkled his nose and stuck out his tongue. "Gross. I will never get married."

"Me neither," Emmy agreed, "Marriage is just another type of enslavement."

"Emmy is my sister," Luffy added, "Whether or not we're related by blood is irregular."

"You mean irrelevant, Luffy," Emmy corrected.

"Yep. That!"

"Fine, fine," Zoro said and then he looked up at the sky, "So since you've been to the Grand Line, Emmy, I'll leave the navigating to you."

"Eh?" Emmy said, "But I don't know how to navigate."

Zoro's head snapped back up. "What?!"

He turned to Luffy. "What about you? You're the captain. Surely you-"

"Nope. No clue," Luffy said, "Why don't you do it? You are a bounty hunter after all. You must know how to get from one island to another."

"I have no memory of ever calling myself a bounty hunter," Zoro retorted, "I set out to sea to look for a certain man but then couldn't get back to my village. I had no choice, so I just went after pirate ships for a living."

"Oh, so you got lost," Luffy said with an understanding nod.

"That's not it at all!" Zoro seethed. In his anger, he banged the heel of his foot against the bottom of the boat. It rocked heavily to the side and knocked Luffy on his back. Emmy suppressed the urge to smile.

 _Looks like Luffy touched a nerve,_ she thought.

"So? What are we supposed to do now?" Zoro asked.

"Just keep rowing," Luffy said with a shrug, "We're bound to hit an island someday."

"You're too carefree!" Zoro snapped and then he directed his annoyance at Emmy, "Oy! If you can't navigate, what do you expect to do on a pirate ship?"

"Be the first mate," Emmy replied.

"Which means?"

"I'll clean the ship."

The swordsman did not take that news well. "You have got to be kidding me. That's not what a first...ugh...never mind," he groaned. Then he slid his hand over his face, rubbing out his aggravation and annoyance, "Fine. Since we have time anyways, I might as well ask you."

Emmy tilted her head to the side and Zoro pointed a finger in her face.

"What's your deal?" Zoro asked, "I get Luffy's Gum Gum stuff but how does your Devil Fruit work?"

Emmy frowned as she tried to figure out a simple way to explain it. The swordsman didn't seem as dense as her brother but she had spent enough time with him to know that the simplest answer would be best for Zoro.

"I can make people feel things and I, in turn, can feel what other people are feeling," Emmy said.

Zoro raised an eyebrow. "Okay…"

"OOH! Emmy!" Luffy shouted, "Take off your headband. You should practice with Zoro."

"Eh?" Emmy gasped and she shot a worried look over at the swordsman, "But he's angry and annoyed with us right now. I don't think-"

"It's fine," Luffy laughed, "I'll put your headband back on if you lose control."

"Headband?" Zoro asked.

Emmy nodded. "I wear a headband that stops my powers from going overboard. I naturally feel the emotions and impulses around me but sometimes there's too much for me to process...Like trying to use a single sponge to absorb an entire sea. This headband keeps most of the emotions at bay."

"Most? So you can still feel some?"

Emmy nodded. "Yes, I can feel your emotions and Luffy's right now. That's how I know you feel slightly annoyed by us. Although, now you also feel a little surprised...and hungry."

Zoro gaped at her and Emmy smiled.

"Now you're even more surprised."

"What else can you do?" Zoro demanded.

"She can punch people without actually using her fists!" Luffy cheered and Zoro looked quizzically at the blonde.

"It's true," Emmy said, "I can give the sensation of a push, pull, or punch to any living creature...and I can only do two punches at a time...since I only have two fists."

"Okay…" Zoro said slowly, "Then what did you do to me and Coby back at the base then?"

"I made you feel fear," Emmy replied, "I can project whatever I'm feeling onto others but only for a limited time...and unfortunately I can't control who can avoid getting hit and how bad they'll feel the effects…"

"How long is a 'limited amount of time'?"

Emmy shrugged. "Depends on the level of emotional intensity of the people around me as well as the number of people…"

"Huh?"

"The more scumbags there are, the less time Emmy can use her powers," Luffy said and looked to Emmy for confirmation.

"Yes, that's right," Emmy replied with a giggle.

"Oh. Got it," Zoro said.

"That's why I still don't know the full extent of my powers yet," Emmy sighed and smoothed out her apron, "I haven't been able to be by myself to discover my Devil Fruit abilities and its full potential."

Luffy nodded. "That's why she needs to train."

"Training, huh?" Zoro asked and he rubbed his chin. Then he adjusted himself so he was knelt in a seiza position. He took a deep breath, "Alright. I'm calming myself. Do what you have to do."

Emmy batted her eyes and tilted her head curiously at the swordsman. Indeed, a sense of tranquility was coming over him. "Really?!"

"Yeah," Zoro said and closed his eyes, "Training is essential to becoming stronger and that's what you're trying to do. I respect that."

Emmy beamed at him. "Thank you, Zoro-san! Ah! Do you mind if I call you just Zoro? Luffy says I don't need to go by honorifics when it comes to nakama so...I would like to call you Zoro as a symbol of our friendship."

"Alright," he repeated, his expression blank but Emmy could feel that he was pleased with what she had said, "Do what you have to do."

Her brother sat cross legged in between the two, staring at them expectantly as if any moment one of them would burst into flames. "Shishishishishi."

"Okay," Emmy said and pulled off her headband, "Here goes."

She sat still as a statue for awhile with her eyes closed and her head bowed. She was now used to seeing Luffy's ever blinding presence of positivity. It didn't overwhelm her as it did the first time. It seemed if she spent enough time focusing on one person, their feelings would leave an imprint on Emmy and she would develop somewhat of an immunity to their emotions. She could still feel them but in a manageable dose.

Zoro was brand new, though, and his emotions hit her like a ton of bricks. She was caught off guard by the strong sense of honor and loyalty that came from the swordsman. He carried a heavy duty on his shoulders and it was weighing him down. She dug a little deeper, getting past his more prominent emotions, and sifted through them like a librarian with a stack of books. She felt confidence (a fair share of it, actually), slight guilt, joy, a little bit of controlled anger and annoyance, and then a lot more sympathy than she had expected from him. She smiled at that. The swordsman had a hidden kind side to him.

If she had to categorize the two, Luffy would be the feeling of joy while Zoro would be the feeling of pride. With those two combined, Emmy felt a surge of security within her.

"Well?" Zoro asked, breaking the silence, "How do you feel?"

Emmy lifted her head up and she smirked, which was something she had never done before. "Powerful."

The corner of Zoro's mouth lifted, matching the smirk on her face, "You're welcome."

"Eh! Emmy! Emmy!" A shock of intense excitement and curiosity struck through Emmy as her brother leaned in a bit closer. "Did you realize any new powers yet? Can you impersonate Zoro now? Woo! Can you kick someone's ass without actually being in the same room as them?"

Emmy laughed. Still with her eyes closed, she stuck her hand out and placed it gently on Luffy's forehead. "Feel Feel," she murmured, "Pacify."

A heart shaped cloud puffed out from where her palm and it dispersed around the rubber man. Instantly, Emmy felt Luffy's heart rate go down and he fell on his back with his arms splayed out.

"Ah...I'm so relaxed," Luffy sighed, "I like everyone here. I like Zoro. I like Emmy. Everyone's my nakama."

"I guess I can do that now too," Emmy said, mostly to herself.

They spent a few hours just like that with Zoro meditating, Emmy channeling her Devil Fruit, and Luffy dozing off into a peaceful slumber. Emmy ended the session when she started to feel both Zoro and Luffy's stomachs gurgle. She placed her headband back on her head and then handed out the boxed lunches Rika's mother had supplied them.

"How'd you get your hands on it anyways?" Zoro asked as he dug into his lunch, "Devil Fruits aren't so easy to come by and yet you both got one."

Emmy froze. Her chopsticks just inches away from her face. Then she lowered it and looked down at the bento in her lap. "I was forced to eat one," she said quietly, "It was not by choice."

It was obvious, even to someone as dense as Zoro, that he had stumbled upon a sensitive subject. He cleared his throat and before he could even say sorry, the girl looked over at him and smiled knowingly. Instantly, he knew she had felt his apology.

"Shishishishi," Luffy interrupted and dumped the entirety of his bento box into his widened mouth, "Zoro! Wanna hear how I got _my_ Devil Fruit?!"

The rubber boy didn't even bother to get an answer from his new nakama. He just started to tell him about 'Red Hair' Shanks, the mountain bandits, and the accidental stress eating that caused him to end up in his current state. Although Zoro made no indication he was actually listening, he also didn't show any signs of telling the rubber boy to stop. Even Emmy listened, despite having heard this story many, many times. As for where they were heading, the crew decided to let the wind navigate and decide for them.

Soon the story was told, the meals were eaten, and the sun had left for the day. The captain decided to take the inaugural night watch and let his two nakama rest. He was too excited to fall sleep anyways.

The swordsman had developed a talent of being able to fall asleep anywhere and at any time. Given how dangerous the line of work was for a bounty hunter and how often Zoro pushed himself to train even when he wasn't searching for his next meal ticket, being able to get in a quick shut eye whenever he could was a necessary skill to have.

Of course, since his sleeping patterns were sporadic and only lasted 4 hours max when uninterrupted, Zoro had woken up to various scenarios in his life. He had woken up in the belly of multiple pirate ships, in the middle of city streets he didn't even recall stepping foot in, and even under tables at several bars.

However, waking up in the middle of the night to find himself in a rocking boat with a thrashing, crying girl while a boy made of rubber frantically wrapped his elongated limbs around her to bind her down, was definitely a first.

"Wh-wh-what's going on!?" Zoro demanded as his hands went to both sides of the boat to prevent it from capsizing.

"EMMY! EMMY! You're having another bad dream," Luffy shouted directly into his sister's ear, "Wake up! Emmy! You're going to throw us into the sea if you don't wake up!"

The girl let out a very audible gasp and she stilled. Zoro couldn't see her face under the dimly lit moon but he guessed she was awake. Luffy's hold on her loosened and Zoro watched silently as the girl immediately turned on her side and pressed her face up against Luffy's chest. His vest muffled the sounds of her heavy breathing but not by much.

"It's okay," Luffy said, "You're okay…You're okay..."

Zoro's eyes met the captain's and he raised an eyebrow. The rubber boy shook his head and Zoro nodded in understanding.

"Well…" Zoro sighed as he stretched his arms behind his head. Then he took off his shirt and unstrapped his katanas from his side, "The water looks pretty nice. I think I'll go for a swim."

_Splash._

Without another word, the swordsman dove right into the cold seawater, giving the siblings their privacy. Whatever could get the bouncy rubber boy to be so solemn must be handled delicately and Zoro was not really a delicate person. Nor was he one to pry.

He swam for about an hour, doing a couple of laps around the boat like a shark circling its prey. When he finally pulled himself back on the boat, the girl had fallen back to sleep while the rubber boy sat cross legged by her head with his hand holding hers next to her smiling face.

The boy grinned at the swordsman as he draped his arms over the sides of the ship.

"How was the water?" Luffy asked.

"Good," Zoro smirked, "You should take a lap or two yourself."

"Shishishishi," Luffy laughed, "Maybe next time."

Zoro nodded at the girl. "She okay?"

"Ah," Luffy said with a nod, "She just has bad dreams from time to time but once she wakes up and goes back to sleep, she's fine."

Zoro studied the girl and then his expression turned serious. "Luffy, why are you taking her with you?"

"Eh?"

"Becoming the King of Pirates is not going to be easy and we both know that. So why did you bring her with you? You say she's strong but it's clear she's not a fighter. She belongs in a home and not on a pirate ship," Zoro said.

Luffy's expression did not change and if anything, his grin got even bigger. "Emmy belongs with me," he stated, "Where I go, she goes."

"You're putting her in danger," Zoro pointed out.

"It'll be fine," Luffy grinned, "She has me and now, she has you."

"Fool!," Zoro shouted, "I didn't join to be a babysitter and if you're not going to take your ambition seriously then-"

"Zoro."

The sudden gravity in Luffy's voice made Zoro stop mid-sentence and he watched as Luffy tilted his hat over his eyes.

"I will become the King of Pirates," Luffy said without a glimmer of doubt or humor. His one hand held the girl's hand and the other was on the hat on his head, "And Emmy will be with us the entire way."

Zoro sank lower into his seat and he relaxed his stance. "Yes, Captain," he said.

The grin returned to Luffy's face and he laughed. "Shishishishi. Don't worry too much about Emmy, Zoro. I meant what I said. She's strong," he said, "You'll see."

"Okay," Zoro said and then he yawned and stretched his arms out behind his head. He felt his hair and realized that it was already dry. He slipped back on his shirt and he nodded at Luffy, "That swim re-energized me so I can keep watch for the rest of the night. You can go to sleep, Luffy."

"Okay," Luffy said with a grin, "Thanks, Zoro!"

"Just leave it to me, Captain."


	8. I am Not a Lapdog.

Luffy blinked up at the morning sky and his eyes sparkled in excitement. It was a new day out at sea and a new day meant a new adventure. Then a grin stretched across his face. It looked like he was going to get his hands on a new breakfast too. He leapt to his feet and pointed upwards.

"Look a bird!" he shouted with glee.

"Keep your voice down, Luffy. You might wake up Zoro!" Emmy hurriedly whispered to her brother but a quick glance at the stern of the ship made her realize it was already too late.

She smiled apologetically at the glaring swordsman and then tilted her head up to spot what her brother was referring to. When her eyes caught onto the silhouette of the bird, Luffy's arms were already stretching towards it.

"Let's eat it!" Luffy cried and launched himself up at the bird, "Gum Gum Rocket!"

"Wait! Luffy-," Emmy protested but it was too late.

Zoro yawned and ran a hand through his short green hair. "What? He's getting food. Aren't you hungry?"

"Can't you tell by the size of the silhouette and how high it is above us?" Emmy gasped at the swordsman, "That bird is bigger than our boat!"

"WHAT?!" Zoro shouted and his chin snapped up so he can take a closer look at the bird.

"HELLLPPPPPP!" Luffy screamed from high above, "It caught me! Save me! Zoro! Emmy!"

Zoro quickly pushed Emmy out of the way so he could furl the sails and grab onto the oars.

"Moron!" he roared as he rowed at breakneck speed, following the bird's flight path, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Hang in there, Luffy!" Emmy shouted up, "We're coming!"

"Oy! Stop! You there! Stop!" a voice called out.

Emmy peered over the ship and saw that they were heading towards three men, who were floating helplessly in the water. "Zoro! There are people stranded in the water!" she gasped.

"I can't stop!" Zoro snapped, "Or else we'll lose Luffy. OY! You guys! Just jump in on your own if you can!"

The boat split right through the three men without hesitation and the men quickly grabbed onto the sides. They pulled themselves into the boat, which happened to be the end where Emmy sat. One of them pulled out a sword and he held the blade at Emmy's throat. "We're members of the pirate crew led by Buggy the Clown. This boat is ours now," he announced to Zoro.

The green haired man's brow furrowed and he slowed down his rowing. "Huh?" he growled.

_Thwack. Thwack. Thwack._

With just the hilt of one of his katanas, he knocked the sword right out of the man's hand, gave another man a black eye, and then knocked out the two front teeth of the third. He swiftly pulled Emmy to his side of the boat.

"Thank you," Emmy breathed.

"You! This is the second time you've become a hostage," Zoro snapped, "You're captured way too easily."

"I will work on it, Zoro," Emmy promised and the three men gasped.

"Z-Z-Z-Zoro. Did she just say Zoro?"

"Ah, I'm Roronoa Zoro. What of it?" Zoro demanded and then tossed them the oars, "Now that you know who I am, row this boat."

"Hehehehehe," they laughed sheepishly as they diligently obeyed.

The man in the middle broke out into a cold sweat. "We had no idea you were the famous Pirate Hunter Zoro-san. Forgive our rudeness."

"Tch," Zoro clucked his tongue and looked up at the sky, "We lost Luffy because of these idiots. We'll just have to keep rowing straight ahead."

"Excuse me, sirs," Emmy asked politely, "You said your captain is Buggy the Clown? Can you tell us more about him, please?"

"Ah, certainly, pretty girl," the middle man said, feeling slightly awed by her good manners, "He's the head of our ship. He ate a Devil Fruit that makes him a terrifying person."

"The Sober Sober Fruit," Zoro guessed.

"The Slave Slave Fruit," Emmy tried.

"Don't just make up random fruits!" the middle man snapped.

Emmy instinctively moved herself closer to Zoro and the swordsman glared at the cause of her alarm. Immediately, the middle man began to sweat.

"Just shut up and row!" Zoro barked.

"Sir, yes, sir!" the three men cried and pushed forth.

With the three men steering the boat forward, Zoro and Emmy soon reached the harbor of a small town. It was alarmingly quiet. There was no one on the streets yet there were enough houses and buildings to suggest that the streets should be crawling with people. On the dock, there was no other ship except for one large one that was painted in bright colors with a red and white tent covering its top deck. At the top hung a black flag of a jolly roger with a red nose.

"This must be Captain Buggy's ship," Emmy said as Zoro tied the boat up. She hoisted herself onto the dock and then dusted off her knees and hands.

A sudden explosion sounded through the middle of the city and they saw a flash of light followed by green and yellow smoke. "What was that?" Zoro asked.

The three men gulped. "That must be one of our Captain's Buggy Balls."

"Buggy Ball? Sounds powerful," Zoro said with an amused grin. He adjusted the swords on his side and he nodded at Emmy, "Any idea where Luffy might be?"

Emmy nodded. "He'll be where the most action will be."

"Good. What I'd expect from my captain," Zoro smirked. Then his expression switched to annoyance and glared at the three men, "You three! Lead us to where that Buggy guy is."

"Yes, sir!"

While they ran through the seemingly abandoned town, Emmy found it odd that even though Zoro ordered the three pirates to act as a guide, he didn't do much following. In fact, she had to keep calling the swordsman back because he would always turn a corner when they reached an intersection.

The men brought them to the top of a pub where they saw a huge tent set up on the roof. Dozens of men stood on the rooftop with their sides to Zoro and Emmy. No one noticed the two new faces at all. In fact, everyone's focus was at the center of the roof.

The orange hair girl from the passenger ship and marine base had appeared again. She was standing in front of a cannon and holding onto the wick, trying to stop the flame with her bare hands. The cannon itself was pointed directly to a cage on the other side of the roof with Luffy trapped inside.

"Kill her flashily!" someone ordered and the men raced towards the girl with their weapons in hand.

"Watch out!" Luffy cried.

_Thwack!_

"Oy," Zoro grunted as he pushed all of them back with just scabbards of his katanas, "How many of you are taking on one girl at once?"

"Zoro!" Luffy cheered.

"You hurt?" Zoro asked the girl.

"N-N-No, I'm fine," the orange haired girl stammered, taken aback by the swordsman's sudden appearance.

Emmy hurried over to Luffy's cage, ignoring the swordsman and the strange pirate crew.

"Luffy, are you alright?" she asked as she knelt in front of him. Her hand reached into the cage and she grabbed him by the corner of his vest, as if to make sure he wasn't a mirage.

"Yep! What a relief to see you two. How'd you find me?" Luffy laughed.

"We found Buggy's men and we figured you'd be where is he," Emmy said.

"Oooh. I see," Luffy whistled, "Hurry and get me outta here."

"What do you keep playing around for, Luffy?" Zoro lectured, stomping towards them, "First you get caught by a bird and now you're in a cage?"

"So you're Zoro?" a deep voice asked, stopping the pirate in his tracks.

Emmy glanced over towards the tent and saw a tall man with a big red nose and an orange captain's hat on his head. "Is that Captain Buggy?" she asked Luffy.

"Yep," Luffy said.

"What do you want?" Buggy demanded from Zoro, "Are you here to take my head or something?"

"Nope. Not interested. I gave up pirate hunting," Zoro said.

"You might not be interested in me but I'm interested in you," Buggy said in such a surprisingly high pitched voice that it made Emmy's eyebrows shoot up to the top of her head, "Killing you will increase my name."

Zoro glared back at Buggy. "I wouldn't try it. You'll die."

Buggy grinned and pulled out a small dagger in one hand and three more in the other. He twirled the single dagger playfully. "Oh, is that so?" he asked and licked his blade.

Zoro sighed. "Guess words aren't enough for you."

"Buggy! Buggy! Buggy!" his men started to chant.

Buggy cackled and charged forward. "Die flashily!"

Immediately, Zoro sliced through the clown and Buggy fell into pieces on the floor.

"Tch. He offered no resistance at all," the swordsman said with obvious disappointment.

"That was easy…" Emmy said as she surveyed the crowd, "Way too easy. Their captain just died and they're still smiling."

"Maybe they were scared of him like the marines were with Morgan," Luffy suggested, "So they're happy we defeated Buggy?"

"It's a different type of happy," she whispered to her brother, "It's a...mean type of happy."

"Oy! What's so damn funny?!" Zoro demanded at the group.

Emmy felt a surge of menace and she spun around towards the source.

"ZORO! WATCH OUT!" Emmy cried just as a knife came sailing forward. It stabbed right into Zoro's side.

"EHHHH?!" the orange haired girl and Luffy shouted as Zoro fell to his knees.

From behind him, the pieces of Buggy came back together and he reattached himself as if he was never cut before. "The Chop Chop Fruit! That's the name of the Devil Fruit I ate! I'm a chop-chop person who can't be cut!," he proclaimed.

Luffy tilted his head. "A chop-chop person? Is he a monster?"

"What would that make us?" Emmy asked quietly back.

"Oh yeah," Luffy chuckled sheepishly.

"Gahhh," Zoro groaned as the knife was pulled out of him. He turned and his eyes widened when he saw Buggy's floating hand holding the hilt. Buggy cackled even harder and his hand came back to its rightful place.

"I might not have hit any vital organs but your wound is still pretty serious," Buggy laughed, "So I win!"

"Buggy! Buggy! Buggy!" his men continued to chant. They snickered and jeered while watching Zoro slump to the ground. Blood was starting to stain through his belly warmer and shirt.

"Zoro!" Emmy gasped.

Next to her, in the cage, Luffy sucked in an angered breath. "Stabbing him from behind is unfair, Big Nose!" he roared.

His men's jaw dropped and even the orange haired girl turned pale. Emmy let out a sigh of defeat. _Luffy touched another nerve again..._

"W-w-who's got a big nose?!" Buggy seethed as he threw a knife straight at Luffy's face.

_Clank!_

Luffy easily caught it between his teeth and he spat it out to the side and into Emmy's hand. "Buggy! I'm going to kick your ass!"

Buggy laughed. "Kick _my_ ass? You're a real riot! All four of you will die here! How should I have my ass kicked in this situation?"

"Eek!" the orange hair girl shrieked. She looked frantically around her for someone who could get her out of the situation. Her eyes fell on the blonde girl on the other side of the roof, "You! You're with these two strangely strong weirdos, aren't you? Do something! Make yourself useful!"

"EH?! Me?" Emmy was floored by the girl's attitude and she felt very offended that the girl didn't think she was doing anything. She held up the knife in her hand. "I'm about to cut him loose from the ropes! Why are you doing?"

"What good would that do? He'd still be in a cage!" the girl yelled back, "And did you not see me grab the wick with my hands? I already saved his life! You should thank me for that."

"And how exactly did he get in front of a cannon in the first place?" Emmy asked, "Did you have anything to do with it?"

The girl didn't have to say anything. Emmy felt her guilt. Then she felt just pure aggravation.

"Does it bother you that much?" the girl shouted, "Having him in front of a cannon? Fine!"

She raced to the front of the cannon barrel and squatted down so that the tip of it was just above her head. She pushed her hands up against it and tried to lift it with her whole body.

"GAAAAHHHHHHHH!" she roared and the cannon flipped sides so it was now aimed at Buggy and his men.

"EEP!" they shrieked.

"Don't worry! They don't have anything to light it with!" Buggy sneered.

"Zoro! Get over here! We're going to run for it!" Luffy shouted at the swordsman.

"Like I'd let you get away!" Buggy cried as he brought his knives down on Zoro but the swordsman easily deflected it with his katanas. He sliced the clown in half, creating an opening for his escape and he ran over towards Luffy.

The girl dusted off her hands and then placed them on her hips as she looked haughtily down at Emmy. "I've done two things now to help and Luffy's lapdog is still at 0."

"What did you just call me?!" Emmy gasped.

"You heard me. Luffy's Lapdog," the girl sniffed.

Emmy's eyes narrowed and with a flick of her wrist, she cut through Luffy's ropes with the knife. Then she ran to the cannon and pulled out a box of matches from her apron. She lit one and then held it to the wick. She then glanced over at the orange haired girl. "2 to 2 now, you...you… calculating crone."

"AHHHH! You lit it?! There's still a Special Buggy Ball in there!" Buggy cried but the two girls were too caught up in their heated argument to listen.

"C-c-crone?!" the girl exclaimed, "I am too young to be a crone."

Emmy eyed her up and down and then sniffed, matching the same condescending tone that the girl had just showed her, "But not as young as me."

"Why you-" the girl reached out to make a grab for Emmy when the cannon fired.

_Kaboom!_

As the Special Buggy Ball lit up the skies of the quiet town and practically blew the roof off of everything in its way, Emmy felt Luffy's hand grab onto hers as Zoro took the cage and jumped off the side of the building. Both her and the orange haired girl were pulled along with Luffy and they fell to a building directly below.

"Zoro!" Emmy gasped as she shakily got up to her feet. She watched in horror as Zoro attempted to carry Luffy on his back, cage and all. It was made out of concrete and the weight of it was definitely worsening the swordsman's wounds. "Stop! Put Luffy down. We'll find another way to get him-"

"Let me do it my way, Emmy," Zoro growled and then his eyes caught the orange haired girl, "Luffy, who is that?"

"Oh, she's our navigat-," Luffy started to say.

"I refuse," Emmy said point blank and Luffy gaped at his sister. It was unlike her to behave like a child. In fact, he had thought that was _his_ role and Emmy was the disciplinarian.

"But she can read maps!" Luffy explained.

"No. We can find someone else," Emmy insisted and then puffed up her cheeks, "I'm not going to agree to everything you say. I am not your lapdog."

"Eh?" Luffy scratched his head. His sister wasn't making any sense and it was the first time he had seen her react this way. Was that...an actual pout?

Then blood spurted out of Zoro's wounds and Emmy returned to normal. She pulled out her handkerchief and pressed it against his wounds. Almost instantly, the white cloth turned red.

"Zoro," she pleaded, "You're aggravating your wounds. Just put-"

"MOVE OUT OF THE WAY, EMMY!" Zoro ordered, "We have to get out of here now!"

Emmy's eyes moved to Luffy, who gave her a solemn nod. She backed away and clutched her bloodied handkerchief in her hand. Then she stuffed it into her pocket and picked up the other corner of the cage. Her forehead was smooshed into Zoro's back as she tried to help lift the cage. Her strength wasn't much but it did offer some relief to the swordsman.

"Oy, I can handle it on my own!" Zoro grunted.

"We do it together! As a crew!" Emmy insisted and nudged Zoro forward with her head, "Now go, Zoro!"

"AHHHHHHH!" Zoro groaned as they slowly moved forward.

The orange haired girl didn't follow them but Emmy could feel her dubiousness, confusion, and the dull feeling of some type of emotional aching. However, the blonde didn't bother to dive into it. Her focus was on getting her brother and her nakama out of danger.

When they got to the street level, Zoro and Emmy dragged the cage as far away as they could from Buggy's base until Zoro couldn't move anymore. He fell flat on his face with the blood pooling onto the street.

Emmy rushed over and turned Zoro over. She lifted up his shirt and moved his bellyband down to his hip, exposing his wound and revealing his very muscled abdomen. "Oy, what are you-"

"Emergency first aid," Emmy said as she reached into her apron pocket and pulled out a needle and thread. She lit a match to sterilize the needle and then she began to stitch him up, "This is only a temporary fix until we can get a proper first aid kit."

"Gahhhh," Zoro groaned through clenched teeth.

"I'm sorry. Please bear with me for a little," Emmy said.

"H...How do you know how to do that?" Zoro grunted, "Were you a nurse back on the Grand Line too?"

Emmy shook her head. "I was a very capable servant," she said.

"What kind of servant needed to learn how to sew people up?" Zoro demanded.

"A servant from a house that liked to cut as punishment for disobedience," Emmy stated and Zoro's eyes widened. He watched the girl as she tended to his wounds. At first glance, she was a child. Zoro's guess was 15 at most but her eyes weren't as clear and bright. There was darkness in her.

"Shishishishi," Luffy laughed from his cage, "Look! A dog!"

"Huh?"

Emmy and Zoro looked over as Luffy nudged his cage over towards a building marked "PET FOOD STORE". A dog sat diligently at the base of the store's porch. Its eyes were forward and unmoving, looking right past the rubber boy.

"Is it dead?" Luffy asked and poked the dog in the forehead.

_Chomp!_

The dog immediately bit Luffy in the face and the rubber man screamed as he tried to fight it off. "Oww! Oww! What do you think you're doing?!" Luffy screamed, "Help! Emmy!"

Emmy sighed and casually walked over to the dog. She placed a gentle hand on it's head and it immediately released his grip and calmed down. He sniffed the air a couple of times and then went back to his place, as if nothing happened.

On the other hand, two of the three pirates were now on their backs with wounds, albeit one was much more injured than the other.

"Th-thanks, Emmy," Luffy panted as he looked at the teeth marks the dog had left on his arm.

"If you don't agitate them, they won't agitate you," Emmy advised and then went back to the swordsman.

"What did you do?" Zoro asked.

"Animals feel naturally calm around me unless provoked," Emmy replied, "Now hush and just rest."

Her brow furrowed while she concentrated on finishing up Zoro's stitches. When she was done, she pressed her handkerchief back over his wound, pulling his belly band and shirt over it. The bleeding had stopped which was good, but she didn't want to take any chances.

She heard sounds of high heels hitting stone and she turned to see the orange haired girl walking towards them. Emmy's eyes narrowed at the intruder but her brother had a much different reaction.

"Yo, Navigator!" he said cheerfully.

"Since you guys saved me, I figured I'd get these for you to call it square," she said and threw over a key to Luffy. It hit the street just in front of his cage.

"Is that the key to the cage? You went and got it for me?" Luffy asked excitedly, "Thanks!"

"Don't get me wrong," the girl said, "I just don't want to owe you one."

"I'm saved!" Luffy cheered. He reached for the key but just as he was about to, the dog came over and gobbled it up.

"AHHHHH!" Luffy and Zoro screamed. Luffy's hand shot out and he grabbed the dog by the throat. He shook it so violently that even his concrete cage banged around from the force.

"Stupid dog! Spit it out! Spit it out!" Luffy cried.

Emmy could feel uneasiness, distrust, and dislike from the girl, which made Emmy skeptical too. She raised an eyebrow and frowned at her. "If you're going to hand over the key, why would you toss it to the dog?"

"What?!" The girl glared indignantly at Emmy, "How is this my fault?"

"If you truly didn't want to owe us one, then you would've placed the key in Luffy's hand or even better, unlock the cage yourself. There was no sincerity," Emmy said slowly as she crossed her arms over her chest, "Unless that wasn't the real key and you just wanted us to think you were helping us?"

"WHAT?! What kind of person do you think I am?" the girl demanded.

"A dishonest one," Emmy said bluntly, "Am I wrong?"

"Hey! I may be a thief but I only steal from pirates. So don't make me the bad guy here. Pirates are the bad guys. Pirates are the worst!" the girl shouted.

"So you _do_ hate us," Emmy said with a satisfied nod, "So there really was no need for you to help us. I knew it. Luffy, the key was a fake. The girl was trying to get us to trust her."

"No, it wasn't!" Nami shouted.

"Funny how we can't see if that's true or not since the dog ate it after you tossed it to him," Emmy shot back.

"Hey! I was trying to help!"

"Helping pirates? I thought you didn't like pirates?!"

"I don't!"

"Quit bullying Chouchou, you young'uns!"

"Huh?" Emmy, the orange haired girl, and even Luffy stopped and turned to see who had yelled at them with such a ragged voice.

An old man came walking over to them. "I am this town's mayor. Who are you, people?"

Emmy's eyes went to the dog. "So your name is Chou-chou."

"Leave him alone!" the mayor shouted as he got closer to them. His eyes fell on Zoro's wounds and his expression softened. "Ah, you are injured. Buggy must've gone after you all too. We need to get you to a doctor."

"No need," Zoro said as he got up to his feet, "I just need a bed to sleep it off."

"Then you can use my house," the mayor said.

Emmy hurriedly went over to Zoro. She threw his arm over her shoulder to help prop him up, "Please lean on me for a little bit, Zoro," she said.

"Emmy, I don't-" Zoro started to say but she looked up at him.

"I insist," she replied curtly. It was amazing that a girl a whole head shorter than him could still have a demeanor of a teacher disciplining a rambunctious pupil.

Zoro clenched his jaw and nodded begrudgingly at her. She then turned to the mayor. "Mayor-sama...do you have a first aid kit I could also use?"

"Ah. It'll be in my medicine cabinet. My house is right behind you in that building over there," the Mayor said and pointed towards the opposite side of the road. Then he handed her the keys, "Please make yourself at home."

Emmy nodded. "Thank you very much," she said politely and she helped escort Zoro into the house.


	9. I am Strong.

The mayor lived in a very modest house, especially for the leader of a bustling town. It was a single story house with only one bedroom. Zoro was left to rest in the mayor's bed while Emmy went into the bathroom to find the medical supplies she needed.

"Just let me sleep, Emmy," Zoro called out from the bed, hearing her rummaging in the bathroom. There was a sound of a cabinet door squeaking open and then everything went quiet. Zoro raised an eyebrow, "Emmy? What happened? You okay in there? Listen, you don't have to get me anything. I'll just sleep."

There was no response.

"Oy! Emmy? You hear me?"

But the girl wasn't listening. Her mind was elsewhere while her eyes stared wondrously at the red cross painted in the front of the first aid kit that she had found.

* * *

 

_-Flashback: 6 years ago, Emmy: 9 years old-_

"Oh my…"

The young doctor clutched the handle of her medical bag a little bit more tightly as she looked at the cuts and bruises along Emmy's back. The little girl shivered as she stayed sitting on the edge of her bed and hunched over with her black and white maid's uniform unzipped and about to fall from her shoulders.

The woman sighed and tucked her own long strand of black hair behind her ears. For a minute her brown eyes, which rested behind thick spectacles, were clouded with sadness but then she blinked it away.

"Thank you, Dr. Zuriel," Emmy whispered. Her head hung low and her blonde hair became like a curtain over her face, "And I'm sorry for causing you trouble and taking you away from your patients."

Dr. Zuriel stepped swiftly in front of the girl and knelt down to her so they were eye to eye. She brushed the child's hair away, tucking it behind her ears, so she could get a good look at her patient. The doctor spotted the broken bottom lip of the girl and the gash on her cheek.

"Why are you apologizing?" Dr. Zuriel demanded.

"If only I was doing my job properly," Emmy said, "Then I wouldn't have gotten punished...and...you wouldn't have to stop tending to the Lord and Lady…"

The doctor was unable to contain her outrage any longer and she glared at the girl as tears fell down the doctor's own eyes. She covered the little girl's hands with hers and she gave it a squeeze.

"Never, _ever_ apologize to a doctor when you get sick or injured," she said, "Do you understand me? It is a doctor's duty to heal and treat every person. Servant or Noble."

Emmy nodded. "Okay."

The doctor began to bawl and she lifted up her white medical bag, which had a big red cross painted at the front of it. She pointed at it.

"It..it..it...is an honor to be entrusted with a life," Dr. Zuriel blubbered, "I-I-I may still just be the medical assistant to Dr. Hasdale, but I swear on this symbol that every life is precious to me and I will treat anyone who needs my attention with the same amount of care. Okay?!"

Emmy nodded slowly. "Okay...but Doctor?"

"Yes?"

"Why are you crying?"

"Because it makes me feel better!" Dr. Zuriel wailed as she wrapped her arms around Emmy as tenderly as she could as not to bring the girl any more pain, "Crying heals the heart, you know."

"Does it?" Emmy asked, "Boysen-sama says crying is useless and serves no purpose in this house. He has forbidden us to cry."

"Idiot, what does he know?" Dr. Zuriel continued to sob. Her tears were starting to run down Emmy's back, "He's not a doctor. He doesn't understand the human condition. It's okay to cry. Just don't cry in front of the Lord and Lady. Like I said, crying heals the heart!"

"What is wounding your heart, Dr. Zuriel? Why does it need to heal?" Emmy asked.

Dr. Zuriel sniffed and she sat back on her knees. She wiped her face with the sleeve of her doctor's coat. Then she poked Emmy right where her heart was. "My heart is hurting because your's is hurting."

"Eh?" Emmy gasped and she put a hand over her heart, checking it for wounds, "Doctors can feel hearts?"

"Not just doctors," Dr. Zuriel said and a soft smile crossed her lips, "All humans can, to some degree. If a heart calls out loud enough, another heart will hear it...And I'm hearing your's call out right now."

"What's it say?" Emmy whispered.

Dr. Zuriel pressed her ear against Emmy's chest and she listened intently for a minute. Then, she leaned back and stared up at the girl. "It says it's in a lot of pain...and it's sad...and it wants to cry."

Emmy blinked back at her. "I can't...Lord and Lady Boysen will-"

"Doctor and patient confidentiality," Dr. Zuriel said and once again brought her hands to cover Emmy's, "I promise you, it is okay to cry in front of me. I won't tell a single soul."

Then she sat right next to Emmy, slid her arm over Emmy's shoulder, and held her to her chest. "We'll cry together," the doctor murmured as she started to rock back and forth with the girl cradled to her heart, "We'll heal together."

Emmy felt Dr. Zuriel's tears hit splatter down onto her cheek like hot rain. Suddenly, they were met with the servant girl's own. They formed into thick streams that ran down Emmy's face, neck, and over the doctor's warm, steady hands. None of them made a sound as they wept.

They sat there for over an hour before they were done healing their emotional wounds and the doctor began to treat Emmy's physical ones. It became a ritual for them. Whenever the doctor came to "clean up" after Emmy's punishment, she would start by healing her heart. It lasted for about a year until Dr. Zuriel could not take the emotional toll of her work anymore and left the island.

Emmy never held any resentment for that. After all, the doctor was free and not bound to servitude like she was.

* * *

"EMMY! Are you even listening to me?!"

Emmy jolted out of her memory with her hand pressed up against the red cross. She hadn't thought about Dr. Zuriel in a very long time. _A heart that cries out to another…_

"Emmy!"

"I...I'm sorry, Zoro! I got lost in my own thoughts. What were you saying?" Emmy asked.

"God! Don't worry me like that! I thought you suddenly dropped dead or something," Zoro grunted. Then Emmy heard him shuffle in the bed, "I was saying that you should just go and stay with Luffy and let me sleep!"

"You can sleep while I tend to your wounds, Zoro-san," Emmy replied back.

"Fine," Zoro grunted. There was a moment of silence before the swordsman found something else to say, "Oy, how come you're okay with me being in the crew but not the navigator? I'm the one who was once labelled as a pirate hunter."

"That may be," Emmy said, "But you're a very straight forward person. She's not."

"But when it comes down to it. It's not really our call," Zoro replied, "I mean, Luffy is the captain and if he says she's the navigator, then that's his orders."

"I guess," Emmy said, although she was not too thrilled with this conclusion. There was just something about the girl that Emmy could not completely trust. The girl was hiding something and her motives were not clear cut. She was harder to read than Luffy and Zoro.

"I think we should just let her join and just keep an eye on her," Zoro shrugged against his pillow, "But that's just my opinion."

"Right…" Emmy said even quieter than before. When she finally grabbed the first aid kit and returned to Zoro, he was already snoring.

* * *

Emmy finished treating Zoro's wounds and she even found a washing machine in the Mayor's house. Her apron was slightly stained with Zoro's blood and she knew how tricky blood was to get out of white cloth. She didn't want to be selfish so she did the mayor's laundry as well. Then his dishes, then the floors.

She was in the middle of wiping the windows clean when she heard a loud crashing noise and then Luffy's yell. She rushed out of the house with her slightly damp apron hastily tied around her. Her eyes widened at the sight of a giant lion. It was the size of a small house. It's fur was greenish white and it's mane a tint of light purple.

The lion was walking steadily towards the Pet Food Store. A man sat on his shoulders while dust and debris flew around the lion's large paws. The man was just as odd as the lion. He looked like he had glued his body with cotton balls leaving only his face and stomach exposed.

 _Where's Luffy?!_ , Emmy thought as she looked around the street. Remnants of Luffy's cage laid in pieces but the rubber man himself was nowhere to be found. The mayor and the other girl were gone too.

Suddenly, a dog started barking directly in front of Emmy. Her eyes widened. _Chou-Chou?!_

_Thwack!_

With a swipe of its sharp claws, the lion sent the small dog flying to the side, breaking the signage in the process.

"YIP!" the dog whimpered as it hit the floor. It trembled for a second before getting up to his feet and running towards the lion. He sank his teeth into the lion's front leg.

_Thwack!_

Once again, the dog was flicked away with a devastating blow but it was not to be deterred. It gnashed its teeth and charged at the lion once more.

"Oh...you're still coming after us?" the man on the back of the lion laughed, "Richie! Get him!"

The lion raised his paw. His sharp claws gleamed in the sunlight like blades.

"Feel Feel Push!"

"Wha-" the man cried as suddenly he and his steed were pushed to the side by an unidentifiable source. Richie was knocked off balance and he tipped over, crushing his master beneath him.

"Gahhhh," the lion tamer cried.

"Chou-Chou! Run!" Emmy yelled, with her headband safely nestled in her apron pocket, but the dog refused to move. The man and his lion quickly got back up to their feet, with the man now standing next to his pet, and they both glared at the girl in the apron.

"You!" he snarled, "How dare you do this to my Richie?"

They were both snarling at Emmy, with the lion showing the sharpest of fangs. Emmy narrowed her eyes and shook a finger at the lion. "Bad Richie! You leave that poor dog alone!"

The lion's ears shifted back a little and then it lowered his head.

"Oy! Richie! Why are you listening to her?! Get her!" the man shrieked. That seemed to break through the lion's confusion and he started to growl again at Emmy. He raised his paws while simultaneously, Emmy lifted her hand.

"FEEL FEEL PACIFY!" Emmy shouted and brought her hand out. The puffy white heart ballooned out of her hand and it floated towards Richie. His paw stopped an inch from Emmy's side.

"Let's try that again, shall we?" Emmy said as she smiled up at Richie, "Richie, sit."

The lion sat down with such force that his owner rolled off his back. "Good boy, Richie," Emmy said and the lion wagged his tail, "Now lie down, Richie."

Richie obeyed and he laid his head down on the street while looking expectantly at Emmy.

" _Very_ good, Richie," Emmy said encouragingly and Richie's tail wagged so much it started to whip around like a fan, "Now, run as far and as fast as you can away from here."

"WHAT?!" his owner cried as Richie leapt to his feet and sped far, far away. The man gaped at Emmy, "What did you do?!"

"I made your pet feel calm enough around me to think of me as it's friend," Emmy said.

They were far away from Buggy's base and it seemed there were less than a handful of people that Emmy could sense, which gave Emmy much relief. She didn't have to put back on her headband immediately. Once she did, she knew the effects on the lion would disappear and he'll most likely come charging back here. Or, worst case scenario, he'll probably return when he reached the sea.

Emmy took a deep breath and focused on staying in control but there was a very annoying feeling coming towards her at a very close range. She turned to the man. "I think you should know, sir, that you feel a lot more self doubt than a normal person should. You should work on that."

"Who are you?!" the guy demanded.

Emmy bowed her head. "Good afternoon. I'm Monkey D. Emmy. I ate the Feel Feel Fruit and I am an empath."

"A Devil Fruit user?" he gasped.

Emmy ignored him and she turned curiously at the dog. His emotions had caught her attention and without her headband, she could also feel the pain from the scratches and cuts the lion had given to him. She looked over at the pet store for a moment and then she smiled back at the dog. "Your loyalty is admirable, Chou-Chou, and I hope you get to protect this place for many years to come."

The dog whimpered and wagged its tail.

The guy pulled out a whip and he cracked it loose. "I'll teach you not to mess with my Richie!" he roared as he raised his hand.

Emmy felt his annoyance and rage and then something else. She suddenly got the feeling to move to her left. She blinked and jumped to her left just as the whip came cracking down, missing her by a half an inch. Her eyes widened. _I can...I can feel his attack?!_

_Crack!_

She was too stunned to register the next attack and she dove out of the way but not fast enough. The whip hit her smartly in the back, creating a small tear in her dress. She pursed her lips and breathed through the pain. The man raised his whip once more just as Emmy turned her head to lock eyes with him.

_Crack!_

"Yip!"

Emmy gasped when she saw Chou-chou fall right on top of her. He had taken the hit for her.

"Hahaha. The dog is trying to protect you?! It can't even protect itself!" the man laughed, "What a nuisance. I should just put it out of its misery!"

His hand lifted up once more, ready to kill two birds with one stone, or in this case, a girl and a dog with one whip attack. Emmy's eyes narrowed as she tuned herself to the man's emotions and intent. _Feel it, Emmy...Sense his attacks!_

_Crack!_

In a blink of the eye, just as the whip came swiftly done, Emmy was on one knee with one arm holding Chou-Chou protectively to her chest and one arm shielding her face. The whip wrapped around Emmy's arm as she held it over her head. She glared at the lion tamer, ignoring the burning sting of the leather grating against the skin of her arm. "Leave Chou-Chou alone!" Emmy cried.

"You meddling bitch!" the man snarled. He yanked his whip back, flinging Emmy with it, and she was sent skidding down the street.

"Kyaaaa!" she cried out, accidentally releasing her grip on Chou-Chou and he flew away from her. She tumbled and rolled along the pavement, scraping her shoulders, knees, back, and every other body part that hit the cobblestones.

_Crack!_

The whip wrapped around Emmy's neck and the man gleefully jerked her forward before she could even think about standing up. He dragged her slowly to him, taking his precious time so that Emmy could scrape against every rough and jagged surface. Emmy's hands went up to pull the whip away but it was too tight and she was starting to lose her breath. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to focus all her energy into attacking the man.

"Feel…Feel…" she gasped, balling her bleeding hands into a fist.

_Thud!_

The pulling on the whip stopped and then the binds around her neck loosened ever so slightly. She felt her brother's scorching wrath before she saw him.

Her eyes flew open and she saw Luffy standing with his back towards her with one foot on the whip, pinning it to the floor.

"WHAT…" he raged, "THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING TO EMMY, YOU BASTARD?!"

"L-L-Luffy," she strained out, feeling his anger searing into her soul, "I-I-I'm okay. It's okay. Please. Please. Calm down."

Luffy wasn't listening. With just a sharp tug from his foot, the whip was yanked out of the man's hands. Luffy charged at the man like a raging bull.

The man was sweating bullets until he heard the roar of his beloved lion.

"Ha! You're dead meat now. When Richie comes back, you'll-"

"GUM GUM..." Luffy seethed, twisting his arms around each other as they shot forward to greet the incoming lion, who was just appeared around the corner. Luffy's hands grabbed onto the side of the lion's head. He lifted his arms, spun the lion up into the air, and sent him crashing head first down onto the ground, "HAMMER!"

During the entire time, his eyes were fixated on the lion tamer. It was as if he had swatted away a buzzing fly and not a monster sized carnivore.

"Wh-wh-what are you?!" the man cried, backing away hastily.

"I ate the Gum Gum Fruit. I'm a rubber man," Luffy said, his face darkening as he tilted his hat over his eyes.

"Eh?!" the man gasped, "Listen, I peacefully apologize to you and the girl! Okay? Okay?!"

"No need to apologize," Luffy said and the man let out a sigh of relief.

"I'm already set on kicking your ass."

"EH?!" the man shrieked just as Luffy's hand grabbed him straight by the face. He pulled him in and then socked him right in the jaw with his other hand, sending him flying high above. His hand was still on the man's face and Luffy waited until the man was at least 5 stories high before yanking him back down to earth. The ground shook from the impact and the man's head lodged into the pavement, creating a crack that extended down the street.

Luffy straightened back up, not feeling satisfied with this fight, and he bent his arm back. Suddenly, he felt two arms wrap around his waist from behind.

"Stop! No more. I'm okay," Emmy rushed, pressing her face into his back. The whip was gone but her headband was still not back on her head, "Feel Feel...Pacify."

Luffy stilled after the white heart puffed away. Emmy felt his anger die down but his worry and sadness still remained. Luffy looked down at her arms. There were scratches, whip marks, and flecks of pebbles embedded into her usually delicate, smooth skin. She felt the rise of his anger again and she tightened her hold.

"Please, calm down, Luffy! If you get too angry, it'll affect me!" Emmy said, "And don't feel bad either. Please. I got into the fight by my own choice and I learned something new about my powers! It's a good thing! This fight was a good thing!"

There was a few seconds of silence before Luffy's shoulders relaxed. "You really, okay?" Luffy asked and he brought his arm back down to his side.

Emmy nodded and then her head lifted from his back. "AH! Chou-Chou!"

She let go of Luffy and ran towards towards the pet store, where the dog was lying down in front of it. It was bruised, battered, and breathing very faintly.

"Oh no, Chou-Chou," Emmy gasped. She crouched in front of the dog. Tears welled up in her eyes when she felt how much pain the dog was in. _Please...let me take it away from him. Let me take the pain._

Suddenly, she felt compelled to place her palms on him. One on Chou-chou's head and the other on his heart.

Luffy walked over to Emmy. "Emmy, what are you-"

"Feel Feel…" she murmured, "Pain Trade."

Luffy's eyes widened. The wounds on Chou-Chou's body vanished and then Emmy doubled over as if being kicked hard in the stomach. A gash in her cheek appeared, then two on her arms, then claw marks on her back.

"Ahhh," Emmy cried out as all of Chou-Chou's injuries transferred to her. She collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, but then she gave a pained smile when the dog got up to his feet and looked at her in surprise.

"EMMY!" Luffy rushed over to her. He stuffed his hand in her apron pocket, yanking out the headband, and roughly placed it back on her head. To his horror, the injuries still remained. It wasn't an illusion.

"Don't worry, Luffy," Emmy breathed. She couldn't sit up but she did manage to move her hand to cover his and she gave it a very, very soft squeeze, "I can take it. I'm strong, aren't I?"

They stared at each other for a long time before the grin came back to Luffy's face, "Shishishi. Yep. You're strong, Emmy."

Chou-Chou barked and wagged it's tail at her. Luffy pulled Emmy up to a seated position and leaned her against his chest. She bent her head down exposing the back of her neck. "Luffy, is my scar-"

"It's hidden," Luffy said, "But your dress is torn."

"I can patch it up when we get back on the boat," Emmy said. She lifted her head up and she reached out to pet the dog, who had returned to his usual guarding position in front of the porch, "Chou-Chou was very brave. He protected this store and he protected me."

"Shishishishi, Chou-Chou, you fought hard to protect your master's treasure and you also protected someone very important to me. Thank you!" Luffy laughed. His carefree grin now firmly back on his face.

Emmy felt a burst of pride within her while the dog's tail wagged some more. Luffy then gave a pat on his sister's head.

"Shishishishi. You fought hard too, Emmy."

Emmy turned around and beamed back at her brother. "Guess what, Luffy?" she said excitedly, "I could feel his intentions! If I concentrated enough, I could actually feel where his next attack was coming from! I think...I _think_ if I get stronger and faster, I'd be able to dodge attacks completely!"

"Really?!" Luffy shouted but before Emmy could answer, a gruff voice interrupted them.

"I'm so pathetic!"

They looked down the street where the Mayor was storming towards them with a scowl on his face and the orange haired girl next to him. "Chou-Chou and you young'uns fought so hard yet why must I, the mayor, sit by and watch our town be obliterated?"

"Calm down!" the orange haired girl pleaded but the man could not be appeased.

"40 years ago this island was a barren land but we worked hard to build it to what it is today! This town is a treasure to me and its citizens. I cannot allow those dirty pirates to have their way anymore!" he shouted.

_Kaboom!_

The sudden blast of a Special Buggy Ball destroyed the opposite side of the street, taking out the Mayor's house as well. In one blow, a block of the town was made into a pile of rubble.

"M-m-my own home," the Mayor gasped.

"Oh no," Emmy murmured, "And I just finished cleaning it."

"AH! ZORO WAS IN THERE!" Luffy shouted and Emmy gasped.

"You're right! I completely forgot! Zoro!"

Emmy and Luffy stared wide eyed at the wreckage until a shock of green came popping out from under the debris.

"That's one hell of a way to wake a guy up," came a familiar growl, "Ugh. Didn't get enough sleep."

"How are you still alive?!" the orange haired girl shouted in a mix of exasperation and surprise.

Zoro rubbed his head and then looked over at his captain and the first mate. "Oy, what happened to you, Emmy? Why are you all cut up?"

Instantly, he reached for his swords and stood up a little straighter. "Was it a swordsman?!"

"A man with a whip," Emmy answered and the swordsman relaxed his stance.

"I can't stand it in anymore," the Mayor said, digging his feet into the ground, "Some random scum has no right to suddenly destroy our 40 years of hard work! I am this town's mayor! I will protect this town!"

"Wait! Wait! Don't be so hasty!" the orange haired girl cried, pulling the Mayor back by the arms as he tried to charge towards Buggy's base.

"There are fights a man can't run from, isn't that right, young-uns?" the Mayor yelled.

Luffy grinned as he got up to his feet. "That's right!"

"Don't urge him on!" the girl said, "What can he possibly do by going to see them? It's reckless!"

"I'm fully aware it's reckless!" the old man said, pulling his arms out of the girl's hold and running off into the distance.

"Looks like the party's about to get started," Zoro said and Luffy laughed.

"Sure does."

"How can you guys be laughing at a time like this?" the orange haired girl demanded.

"It'll be fine. I like that old guy," Luffy said as he helped Emmy up to her feet.

"I can walk on my own," Emmy said and was about to smooth out her apron when she realized Luffy was not letting go of her hand. She smiled at him before turning to Zoro, "Ready?"

"Ah," Zoro said as he tied his bandana over his head.

"Wait! Both of you are injured and you're still going in?" the orange haired girl shouted.

"The injury to my name is much worse than the injury to my gut," Zoro said.

"I will fight with every last breath or else I can't call myself a Monkey," Emmy replied and punched her fist up in the air, "Food! Fight! Feel!"

"Food! Fight! Feel!" Luffy cheered.

"What kind of chant is that?!" the girl shouted exasperatedly.

"Our destination is the Grand Line so our next move is simple," Luffy laughed, "We have to go steal the map from Buggy."

He grinned at the orange haired girl. He let go of Emmy's hand and held it out to her. "Join our crew, Nami!"

The orange haired girl raised an eyebrow and looked over at the blonde. "You're not going to object?"

Emmy took a moment to answer. She looked to the swordsman, then her captain, before letting out a long sigh. "Luffy's decision. Not mine."

"Hmph," Nami huffed and slapped Luffy's hand out of the way, "I'm never going to be a pirate but how about we team up for our common goal?"

"Shishishishi," Luffy laughed, accepting the navigator's answer for now. He moved his hand back to Emmy's. "Ikuzo!"

He sprinted forward, pulling Emmy behind her as she looked back to give a wave good-bye to Chou-Chou, who wagged his tail in response.


	10. I am Staying Out of the Way.

Luffy, Nami, Emmy, and Zoro arrived at the bottom of Buggy's base in the middle of the mayor's face off against the clown, who was taunting him from the rooftops. The mayor had a spear in hand while Buggy had a detached hand around the mayor's neck. The mayor was lifted up into the air and his legs were flailing about as he tried to kick his way free. There was also a cannon aimed at the old man, most likely one with a Special Buggy Ball fitted to it.

"I-I-I won't let you destroy this town! Even if it costs me my life!" the mayor choked.

"Tch," Buggy scoffed at the pathetic display this man was showing him, "Is the Buggy Ball ready?! Good! Then Fi- WHAT?! STRAW HAT?!"

Quick as a flash, Luffy stood in front of the Mayor with Buggy's phantom hand clutched tightly in his. He waved to the clown with Buggy's own hand, "I'm here to kick your ass just like I promised," Luffy announced and then let go of Buggy's hand. It flew back up to its master.

Emmy knelt in front of the Mayor, swiftly removing her headband. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," the mayor coughed as Emmy helped him to his feet.

"How dare you just come waltzing back here to Captain Buggy so flashily?!" Buggy shouted.

"Listen! All I want is the map and the treasure," Nami reminded the crew.

"Yeah, I figured," Zoro shrugged.

"What are you doing here, you young'uns?," the mayor asked as he tightened his grip on his spear, "You're outsiders. This is not your fight. This is mine."

He held his spear in front of him and made a run for Buggy. "I will protect this town!"

"Feel Feel Pull," Emmy said and tugged her hand. The Mayor's feet flew back as if someone had yanked his ankle out from under him and he fell face down onto the street.

"Eh?!" he gasped as Emmy walked up to him.

"I apologize, Mayor-san but this is for your own good," Emmy said and put her hand to the back of his head, "Feel Feel Repose."

A heart-shaped cloud of light blue smoke puffed around the mayor's head.

_ZZZZZZZZ!_

The Mayor's whole body sagged as he began to snore. Emmy fit her headband onto her head and nodded at Luffy. "Okay, he's good."

"OOOH! Another power?!" Luffy cheered.

"What?! What did you do to the Mayor?!" Nami cried.

"I made him feel sleepy," Emmy explained and Nami's jaw dropped.

"For how long?!"

Emmy shrugged. "For about an hour or two...Or until I release it."

"Then release it!" Nami demanded.

"No," Emmy said and folded her arms across her chest, "I had no choice. He was determined to put his life on the line. I could feel his resolve."

"It was for the best," Zoro grunted, "Otherwise, he'll get in our way."

 _What is with these people?!,_ Nami thought. She had chalked them up as good for nothing pirates and was sure they would bring nothing but trouble to her and this innocent town but then they kept doing unexpected things. Zoro's dedication to carry Luffy out to safety was one and the girl taking away the wounds from Chou-Chou was another.

Nami and the Mayor weren't able to see what exactly had happened but what they did know was that Chou-Chou had gotten into a terrible fight, protecting his master's store, and it seemed Luffy and Emmy had lent him a hand.

"You're up, Luffy," Emmy said, interrupting Nami from her thoughts.

Luffy tilted his hat back. He took two steps forward and puffed up his chest, "BIGGGGG NOSEEEE!"

The screams of horror seemed to come from all around them, including Nami herself. She clutched her hands to her face and gawked at Luffy. "That's the one thing you shouldn't say!" she screeched, "I knew it! You are a good for nothing pirate! You're just asking for trouble! Idiot Luffy! IDIOT!"

The only three, who reacted to it with anything other than fear was Emmy, who was laughing behind her hand, Zoro, who was readying his swords and studying the rooftops to see who would be the first to attack, and Buggy, who was just really, really pissed.

"Damn you, you flashy idiot! I'll teach you to mess with me. FLASHILY FIRE THE BUGGY BALL!" he commanded.

Nami screamed and sprinted away from Luffy and the base. "Look what you did, Luffy! Why'd you have to say that? You idiot!"

"Oy, Luffy! Run!" Zoro shouted but then he noticed that Emmy was standing calmly behind her brother.

"It won't work," she said, catching Zoro's eyes.

_Kaboom!_

"GUM GUM," Luffy shouted, sucking in enough air to make his body as big as his first boat, "BALLOON!"

The cannon ball hit him right in the belly button but then bounced right back in the direction of where it was launched.

"EHHHH?!" the pirates cried as the cannonball blew not just the rooftop but the whole building into smithereens.

"Geez, at least warn us," Zoro scoffed but he had a grin on his face.

"What the heck are you?!" Nami seethed.

"Whew, fewer enemies," Luffy grinned.

Nami stomped over to Luffy. "I knew something was weird from the time you fought the lion. No human can do what you do. Explain yourself!"

Emmy frowned and tilted her head. "Why are you so bossy?" she asked out of genuine curiosity.

"I'm not bossy!" Nami huffed, "I'm just trying to get some answers."

"Well, there are ways to do that without shouting," Emmy said.

The sound of splintering wood and glass bottles breaking broke up the argument. The group turned to see Captain Buggy, climbing out of the debris while holding two smoking bodies in front of him. "How dare you flashily try to do me in?"

"He used his henchmen as shields," Nami gasped.

"Captain Buggy! Please be careful!" came a shout from the other side of the street. The lion tamer was running towards his captain with his hands in the air, "Those two are Devil Fruit users! One is an empath and the other is a rubber person!"

"An empath?" Nami echoed and looked at Emmy, who nodded in response. Then she moved to Luffy, "A rubber person?"

Luffy arm stretched and sailed down the street and punched the lion tamer right in between the eyes. The blow sent him straight back to where he came from. "STAY DOWN!" Luffy shouted and then grinned at Nami as his arm retracted back to normal, "Yep! Rubber. See?"

"That explains how he bounced the Buggy Ball back," Buggy mused, "Devil Fruit user, eh?"

From the rubble, a new man burst through, also holding an unconscious man in front of him. He tossed the body aside and aimed his dark, beady eyes at Luffy.

He had shiny black hair that went down to his shoulder on one side but shaved short on the other. His face was slim but Emmy couldn't see anything below his nose since he had a thick blue and white checkered scarf wrapped around his neck. He wore a long black vest that he left unbuttoned, exposing his chiseled torso, green sash, and white pants.

"Captain Buggy, please leave this to me," he requested.

"Very well, Cabaji," Buggy said in his high pitched voice, "Show them your acrobat show!"

Cabaji leapt high into the air, landing on a unicycle, and came cycling towards them with a sword in hand. He aimed his blade directly for Luffy. "I, Acrobat Cabaji, Chief of Staff, will take on Captain Buggy's anger!"

_Clang!_

Zoro sprung into action, blocking Cabaji's blade with one of his own. " _I'll_ clash swords with you."

Cabaji's eyes narrowed. "Roronoa Zoro, it's an honor. To think I would get to slay a swordsman like yourself."

Emmy's eyes went down to Zoro's side where his new bandages were starting to turn red. "Zoro-san, your wounds aren't-"

"Stay out of this," Zoro growled, "This is my fight."

"But-" Emmy started to say but then Luffy pulled her back.

"Let him," Luffy said with a grin, "He just said this was his fight."

Zoro smirked and gave an appreciative nod to his captain as Emmy was hesitantly led away to the side of the street. Next to her, Nami wasn't as convinced. "What are you saying?! He can't fight in those conditions!"

"You're surprisingly worried for someone who doesn't like us pirates," Emmy mused and Nami stiffened.

"Acrobat Technique: Old Man Arsonist!" Cabaji called. He puckered his lips and blew out a heavy stream of fire directly into Zoro's face.

Zoro cried out in pain as he stumbled back, trying to prevent his face from melting off. As he did so, Cabaji swung his leg out, kicking Zoro hard in his bleeding wound.

"GAAAHHHHH!" Zoro roared as he fell onto his back and writhed in pain.

"What's wrong?" Cabaji taunted, "I'm sure I didn't kick you _that_ hard."

Luffy calmly watched while Emmy squeezed his hand tightly. _Zoro!_

"He fights dirty, going after his injury like that," Nami seethed.

"Acrobat Technique: Murder at the Steam Bath!" Cabaji announced next. He stabbed his sword to the ground and spun round and round on his unicycle. It kicked up the dust and dirt, shrouding him away from Zoro's eyes.

Zoro scoffed. "What steam? That's just an ordinary cloud of dust."

Suddenly, Cabaji's sword swung out from the cloud and Zoro hurriedly raised his two katanas to block his attack. Just as he did so, Cabaji's leg came swinging out again.

_Thwack!_

Blood spurted out as Zoro's wound opened up again and the swordsman rolled to the ground. He yelled even louder than before.

Emmy couldn't take it anymore and she started to run towards the swordsman but then felt Luffy immediately pull her back.

"Emmy," he said, with his eyes glued to the swordsman, "How is Zoro feeling right now?"

Emmy batted her eyes and then forced all her energy towards the swordsman. She winced when she felt the dull, burning sensation from his stab wound but then she pushed it aside to gauge his actual emotions. She gulped and then stepped back to her original spot. _Pain...Determination...Anger…Pride._

She relaxed her stance and nodded at her brother. "I see."

"What? You aren't going to stop him?!" Nami exclaimed, "He's hurt so bad it's almost mystifying that he's still alive. Why're you guys just standing by and watching?! He's going to get killed! Isn't he part of your pirate crew?!"

"If we interfere, Nami," Emmy said slowly, "It would be worse than death for him. He's put his pride and life on the line."

Cabaji smirked and raised his sword. "Roronoa Zoro is about to get defeated!"

He charged forward on his unicycle as the swordsman got up to his feet. His face was covered in sweat but Zoro's stance was unwavering as he clutched two katanas in his hand.

"Annoying bastard," the swordsman growled as Cabaji's blade came thrusting towards his side, "Is poking my wound that much fun?!"

The swordsman stood his ground, allowing Cabaji's sword to pierce his already opened wound and slicing it further open. The acrobat cycled past him and pieces of Zoro's shredded bandages fluttered to the ground.

"Wh-Why didn't you dodge that?!" Nami gasped.

Zoro ignored the navigator and turned towards Cabaji. He grinned menacingly at him. "Is that enough of a handicap for you?," he asked the acrobat.

Zoro tightened his hold on his katanas and lifted them. "Now I'll show you the difference in level between you and me.

"Wahoo! So cool!" Luffy cheered, swinging up the hand that held Emmy's for a makeshift double fist pump.

Cabaji began to sweat from the swordsman's dominating presence. "So...this is Roronoa Zoro, huh? You think you can mock me?"

"I am to become the world's greatest swordsman," Zoro stated, "I can't lose even once to anyone who calls himself one. If I lose to someone like you with such light injuries, I might as well just die right now."

"Do it, Zoro!" Luffy whooped, "Kick his ass!"

Nami folded her arms across her chest and turned on her heels. "I can't go along with this," she said flippantly, "You pirates can injure yourselves for all I can. It doesn't matter to me whether you guys win or lose. I"m gonna use this chance to swipe their treasure and get outta here. Let's team up again if we ever get the chance. See ya! Good luck with the fight!"

"Eh?!" Luffy called after her as she dashed off into an alleyway. He didn't make an effort to stop her but he looked at his sister for answers.

Emmy sighed. "She was starting to care too much about us," she explained, "She was worried about Zoro."

Luffy grinned. "So she likes us."

Emmy nodded. "She's starting to...but she doesn't want to."

"Taste my ultimate acrobatic move!" Cabaji cried out suddenly and held out handfuls of spinning tops. He hurled them at Zoro and even more of them came whirling out from under his clothes, "Acrobat Technique: the Dance of 100 Kamikaze Tops!"

The swordsman easily sliced all of them into itty bitty pieces but Cabaji wasn't done.

"Acrobat Technique: A Hike in the Mountains!" He cycled up the side of a building, going at a perfect 90 degrees from the ground, and when he reached the top, he did a backflip so that he was directly over Zoro with his blade pointed directly down the swordsman's face. "Acrobat Technique: Fireworks in the Cool Summer Breeze!"

"Whoa, he's high!" Luffy cheered.

Emmy frowned and looked curiously at Cabaji, "He's not a swordsman, is he? He's just a man with too many hobbies."

Luffy nodded. "En! En! He's bored."

"SHUT UP! Silence in the peanut gallery!" Cabaji snapped as he plummeted towards Zoro, blade in hand. "Sting of the Unicycle!"

Emmy felt a pang of hostile delight coming from behind her and she whipped around to see Buggy holding out his palm towards Zoro's back. "Ground-hugging Chop-Chop Cannon!" he cried. His hand split from his arm and sailed towards the swordsman, "Cabaji! I'll hold Zoro down. Finish him off!"

"Luffy," Emmy gasped and pointed at the incoming hand.

"Ah," Luffy said and stomped his sandal on the back of Buggy's hand just as it was about to fly past.

"AHHHH!" Buggy cried out in pain just as Zoro jumped out of the way to avoid Cabaji's blade.

Zoro collapsed on the ground, panting heavily. Sweat was seeping out of his pores almost as much as the blood coming out of his side. He propped his arm against his knee and gritted his teeth.

Luffy grinned at the clown with his back towards the swordsman. "Stay out of Zoro's fight."

"Enough...I'm tired," Zoro grunted, which made Cabaji laugh.

Emmy stood in the middle of Luffy and Zoro. Both of them had their backs turned to her so they didn't see the small smile that formed on her lips before she wordlessly took a step back. The resolve of both her captain and her nakama were unshakable and she could feel that the fight had just begun. The way she could help was to be like the mayor and just stay out of the way.

"Finally given up, have you? Thought I must say, I'm impressed you could fight with such injuries," the foolish Cabaji said.

"I meant I'm tired of your crappy-ass aerobatics," Zoro growled, "Emmy is right. You have too many hobbies. You haven't mastered any one of them."

"How dare you?!" Cabaji snarled and readied his blade, "I'll just finish you off with my real sword skills! DIE!"

Cabaji zoomed forward on his unicycle with his sword pointed forward. Instantly, Zoro was on his feet with a white katana in his teeth and a katana in each of his hands.

"Oni…" Zoro said. He moved with such speed that Emmy didn't see him for a second and she didn't even blink. The big, green haired man that was not easy to miss seemed to vanish and then appear right behind Cabaji with his blades out behind him and a knee on the floor, "Giri!"

Cabaji's cuts were so severe and so sudden that blood bursted out of him while he was still falling down. He didn't even have time to take a breath or blink.

"CABAJI!" Buggy shrieked as he watched his henchman's defeat.

"We..the Buggy Pirates...beaten by mere...sneak thieves?" Cabaji gasped.

"We're not sneak thieves," Zoro shouted with as much breath as he could. He sheathed his katanas and then succumbed to his exhaustion, "We're pirates!"

He started to fall forward and he braced himself to land hard onto the street when he felt his chest drape over something soft. He was so tired he could only angle his head slightly and peer out with just one eye. The first mate smiled back at him as she carried him into an alleyway, with one of his arms draped over her shoulder.

"You won," Emmy said as she laid him down gently, ignoring the pain his wound was inflicting on her, "Now you can sleep."

As soon as his head hit the pavement, Zoro started to snore and Emmy stepped away from him until she couldn't feel his wound anymore. She let out the breath she was holding and sank against the building herself. His exhaustion mixed with her own was too much for her to take in. Their actual physical state was also an added factor. "Luffy…" she called out, "Is it alright if I go to sleep too?"

"Ah!" Luffy shouted and he held up a fist towards a very irate Buggy, "I'll handle the rest! Leave it to me."

"Okay," Emmy murmured and her head started to nod, bouncing up and down like a slow basketball, "Food...Fight...Feel."

She fell into a deep sleep with the sounds of her brother's fight just around the corner. Her mind drifted to Chou-Chou and she dreamt of running a pet store with him. They had many customers both human and animals.

Luffy entered her dream and he walked in with his Straw Hat hanging from the back of his neck. He didn't look happy though. He was glaring at her and she could feel that burning rage rise out of him again. She was overwhelmed with fear that she didn't know what to say. Then he opened his mouth.

"YOU BASTARD!"

Emmy woke up with jolt and she gasped. She wasn't dreaming. Luffy really was mad about something. Her headband had accidentally fallen off during a rather forceful head nod. She got to her feet and ran out to the street, forgetting about the headband for a second. Her brother sat in a pile of newly formed rubble with a deep cut along his left cheek. In his hand, he held his straw hat. There was a very noticeable rip on the brim.

"How dare you damage this hat!" Luffy thundered, his eyes blazing into the clown's, "Whoever damages this hat absolutely must pay!"

"Luffy," Emmy whispered, flinching from the level of anger.

"Is that hat really that important to you? If so..." Buggy said with a menacing grin.

Emmy's eyes widened when she saw his hand lift up from Luffy's blind spot with sharp knives between his fingers. He flicked one of them at Luffy and the rubber boy turned just in time to avoid it. However, Luffy lost his balance and he started to fall forward.

"...THEN PROTECT IT BETTER!" Buggy cackled. His hand flew towards the hat, directing the knives right at its center.

"AH! Noooo!" Luffy cried.

"FEEL FEEL PULL!" Emmy yelled.

The blades stopped just a breath away from stabbing through the woven straw. From the sideline, Emmy had her hands clasped tightly together and struggling to lean as far back as she could.

"Luffy," Emmy said through gritted teeth, "I can't hold it much longer."

Luffy quickly moved the hat away from the blades and Emmy let go of her hands. Buggy's hand resumed its trajectory and almost took out its owner.

"Kyaaa!" Buggy screamed as he leapt out of the way. He glared at the girl, "How dare you intervene so flashily! Die!"

His hand veered back and came straight for Emmy.

"EMMY!" Luffy yelled but the girl was too stunned and tired to react. Just as they were about a second away from hitting her straight in the face, Luffy's arm stretched out, grabbing her by the wrist, and pulling her to his side.

She blinked up at her brother, who was scowling so much at Buggy that Emmy could see all of his back teeth. Luffy was visibly shaken with anger and his straw hat rattled in his hands. Once again, Emmy felt the searing wrath within her brother and it was ten times more intense than before.

"If you're going to fight, fight me! Leave Emmy and the hat out of this!" he roared at Buggy, "She is my nakama and this hat is my treasure!

Buggy sniffed, not taking Luffy's rage seriously in the least. "How is that old tattered hat a treasure? Treasure refers to sparkly gold, silver, and jewels. You call this filthy hat a treasure? Cut the crap."

"That's the hat Shanks and I swore over!" Luffy shouted.

Buggy's eyes widened. "What? That's Shank's hat? No wonder it seemed familiar," he growled irritably, "He always wore this by my side."

A pang of confusion and surprise appeared in both Luffy and Emmy. "You and Shanks sailed on the same ship?" Luffy asked.

"Yeah. Back when we were comrades," Buggy said, "We were pirates in training together."

That ticked Luffy off and he slammed his hat a little too harshly on Emmy's head before racing towards Buggy.

"Shanks is a great man! You, his comrade? Don't compare yourself to him!" Luffy roared.

Emmy's whole world spun as she sank to her knees. It wasn't the hit from Luffy that affected her. It was Luffy himself. His anger was ripping into her sense of self and she was slipping into the voices and emotions again. She moved a trembling hand to the top of her head, to keep Luffy's hat in place as she tried to crawl back to the alleyway where her headband rested. _I need…I need...to stop...my power…before...I hurt someone…before I hurt...Luffy..._

Emmy collapsed just an inch away from getting to her headband. She could feel her own heart pumping wildly in her chest and the burning desire to just rip the clown's nose right off of his face. She could hear Buggy's maniacal laugh within her mind. His greed and his maliciousness stirred in with his anger also started to grab a hold of Emmy. There was just so much hate between him and Luffy. Emmy's body began to project those emotions outwardly, egging Buggy and Luffy on in their rage, becoming a vicious cycle of malice and loathing. Her world turned red.

_I hate...them...Everyone...Everyone...must...die…_

Suddenly, her thoughts disappeared along with the red. Emmy blinked as her sight refocused. The navigator's feet stood right by her nose with Luffy's hat in one hand and a heavy sack of something in the other.

"...N...Nami?" Emmy stammered as she slowly sat herself up. Her hand went to her head and she felt the fabric of her headband. "You...came back?"

Nami folded her arms across her chest. "I didn't know if it would work," she sniffed, "I just noticed that you always took it off right before you were doing something crazy so…"

"How...were you not affected by me? Did you not feel any hate or rage?" Emmy whispered.

"I should've known that feeling was from you!" Nami huffed, "I knew I wouldn't suddenly get worked up over nothing!"

Emmy's eyes widened. ' _Worked up'? That level of projection and she only got 'worked up'? She must have a very strong sense of self..._

"Th...thank you," Emmy breathed, feeling both mentally and physically drained, "I owe you one."

"Damn right you do," Nami sniffed again and then she looked over at Luffy, who was in the middle of pounding in Buggy's detached torso, "I can't believe Luffy got so angry over just a hat. I didn't think anything would faze him. What's so great about this hat anyways?"

"You can ask him yourself," Emmy said as she pulled herself back into the alleyway and slumped to the floor. This time she decided to lie on the ground so her headband wouldn't fall off anymore, "I'm going to sleep now."

Nami watched the girl as she drifted off to sleep. Something looked different about the girl than before but Nami couldn't quite put her finger on it. She took a step closer to inspect the girl but then she got annoyed with herself. _Tch. Why do I care about these damn pirates? Especially these weirdos. They bring nothing but trouble._


	11. I am Healing.

"Oy! Zoro! Emmy! Wake up! Zoro! Emmy! Ikuzo!"

Emmy sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes with the back of her hands. She felt like she had been sleeping for hours. Then she blinked up at her brother, who was grinning from ear to ear. "Luffy...How long have I been sleeping?"

"About 30 minutes," Luffy said. He then turned and slapped the swordsman a couple times on the forehead. "Zoroooo."

"Did we take care of everything?" Zoro grunted before rolling himself up.

Luffy nodded. "Yeah! I kicked Buggy's ass and then we also got the map to the Grand Line and a navigator."

Zoro and Emmy looked over their captain's head and eyed the orange haired girl, who clutched a rolled up map tightly in her hands. Then they shared a defeated look with each other and slumped their shoulders.

"Ugh," Zoro breathed as he put a hand to his head, "I lost too much blood. I don't think I can walk."

"It's weird, but I feel pretty energized," Emmy said and folded her hands in her lap. She gasped when her hands came to view.

"What? What?!" Luffy cried.

Emmy held out her hands to see her arms. "My cuts...They're all...gone?!"

"What?!" Luffy and Nami exclaimed as they rushed over to inspect her. Emmy extended her legs and even pivoted at the waist so they could see her back.

"So _that's_ what looked different," Nami murmured to herself.

"Your wounds have all disappeared!" Luffy exclaimed as he poked a finger through one of the tears in Emmy's dress, "Did they go back to Chou-Chou?!"

Emmy let out a small shriek. "Kya! Don't do that, Luffy! You can't just touch a girl's skin without permission."

"Shishishishi," Luffy grinned, "Sorry."

Emmy sat back down and she folded her arms across her chest. "Maybe the Feel Feel Fruit also has some sort healing properties?" She then turned to Zoro, "Here, let me take your wound and see if it closes on me."

"NO!" Luffy shouted while Zoro just rolled his eyes at her.

"It's already healing," Zoro grunted, "Just let it be."

"If you want to help someone," Nami said, placing her hands on her hips, "You should help the mayor. He's still sleeping, you know?"

"Oh yeah," Luffy said as he helped Emmy up to her feet, "We gotta wake up the old mayor guy now."

As they walked towards the mayor, a group of people with weapons in their hands appeared on the street. There was a mix of genders and they were all of different ages. They were led by a guy with green hair that was tied into a low ponytail. "You there," he said.

"Who...who are you?" Luffy asked.

"We're this town's citizens," the leader said, "Did the pirates have a falling out or something? If you know anything, tell us."

"Oh, it's just the citizens," Nami said with a breath of relief.

"Ah! Is that the Mayor?" someone cried, "What happened?!"

"He's out cold!" another person shrieked.

Immediately, Emmy did a perfect bow by the waist. "I sincerely apologize! I am the one who put him to sleep."

"WHAT?!" both the citizens and Nami cried.

"What are you doing?!" Nami hissed into Emmy's ear, "You didn't need to tell them that!"

Emmy turned her head slightly so she could look at the navigator but she kept her 90 degree bend. "But I did do it so I should apologize for it," she said.

"Not now! You should've waited for the Mayor to wake up and explain it him-!" Nami started to say and then a shadow cast over her, Emmy, and Luffy.

Emmy straightened up at the wave of aggression that washed over her. The incoming townspeople clutched their weapons tightly over their chest. "Don't give us your excuses," the leader snarled, "Who are you? Are you one of those pirates?"

"Yes, we're pirates," Luffy said bluntly.

"Just as we thought!" the townspeople roared as Zoro threw back his head and let out a hearty laugh.

"You idiots!" Nami seethed.

"But it's the truth," Luffy and Emmy said in unison.

"Pirates! How dare you terrorize our town!" the citizens shouted, "Don't think we'll show you mercy just because you're kids!"

Luffy squatted down to share a grin with the swordsman. "What now?" Zoro asked, "Doesn't look like they'll hear us out."

"We…" Luffy said with a glint in his eyes. He threw Zoro's arm over his shoulder and shot up to his feet, "RUNNN!"

It took awhile for the two girls to realize what Luffy had instructed but Nami and Emmy soon got of it and they sprinted behind the rubber boy and swordsman. The group bolted for the docks, leaving the townspeople and the sleeping Mayor in the dust. Emmy couldn't help but smile when she felt the anger from the townspeople rise up.

"How can you smile at a time like this?!" Nami demanded.

"Isn't it great?" Emmy said, "They are willing to fight for this town just as much as the mayor. When he wakes up, he'll be so happy. Their town is going to survive for another 40 years at least."

They got to the dock with the help of Chou-Chou, who guarded the street for them and didn't allow any of the citizens to pass. Emmy was surprised to learn that the boat that had Buggy's jolly roger and tied up next to theirs belonged to their new navigator. It was a boat of a similar size with a small room in the center of it for shelter and storage. She had stolen it from the three pirates that Zoro and Emmy had picked up.

Unbeknownst to Emmy, the three of them were lying in wait to attack Nami once she got back but when they spotted Emmy coming with a certain green haired fellow, they hightailed out of there and off to find their captain.

"Nami-san," Emmy asked, "Possible for me to ride on your ship for a little bit."

"Why? Why does it matter?" Nami asked.

"I need to patch up my dress and that would mean having to take it off…" Emmy said with a faint blush and she eyed the private room on Nami's boat.

"Wow, you're such a prude," Nami scoffed but then she climbed onto her boat with her sacks of treasure in hand, "Fine. You can ride with me, Luffy's Lapdog."

"What?!" Emmy gasped, "You're still going to call me that?

"I can call you anything I want. You're the one coming on my boat!"

"Can't you call me by my name?"

"How about Prude Pirate Maid?"

"I guess that'll work…," Emmy said and then she bowed her head. "Thank you for letting me use your room. I appreciate it. Please, whatever you do, don't come in!"

She swiftly hopped onto Nami's boat before the navigator could change her mind.

* * *

Emmy was deep in her thoughts as she sewed up her dress. Every once in awhile she would pause what she was doing and stare at her exposed skin. Without her dress, she had only her white chemise and petticoat on.

 _How did I heal so fast?_ , Emmy thought to herself with a frown. She lowered her dress and then held the needle up to her finger. She pricked it and watched as a small drop of blood came out of her skin. Then she stared at it. The drop of blood grew bigger and then it dropped onto the floorboard. The wound was still open.

Emmy tilted her head to the side. _Maybe I need to sleep? Or...maybe…_

She took off her headband and rested it next to her leg. Then she brought her pricked finger up to her eyes and wiped the blood off. Her eyes widened when the wound started to close on its own. _So it_ is _my fruit power! I must've healed when my headband came off during Luffy and Buggy's fight!_

"Luffy! Luffy!" she cried out excitedly and was about to run out the door when the rubber boy burst through.

"What? What's wrong? What happened?" he demanded.

A drafty wind blew through the opened door and it hit Emmy, fluttering her petticoat and chilling her skin. Her very exposed skin started to turn bright red. "AHHH! GET OUT!" Emmy screamed as she shoved Luffy out of the room and slammed it shut.

"Wha-wha-what happened?! What's the big idea, Emmy?!" Luffy demanded from the other side of the door.

"I-I-I'm sorry!" Emmy gasped as she pressed her back against the door to stop her brother from charging in again, "I got carried away! I'll be out in a minute!"

"You're both idiots," Emmy heard the navigator scoff.

Emmy hurriedly put her headband on her head and went back to sewing up her dress. When she was finally done, she slipped it on and came out of the room. The sun was beginning to set and Luffy's vest blended into the orange sky as he sat at the tip of his boat.

Emmy bowed to Luffy, who was back on their ship and munching on an apple. "I'm sorry about that, Luffy."

"Shishishishi," Luffy laughed as he chewed, "It's just your body. No big deal."

"Don't say that to a girl," Nami seethed but Emmy didn't mind in the slightest.

Emmy held out her finger for Luffy to see, "I was going to show you this!"

"Your finger?" Zoro said as he stretched himself out by the stern.

"I pricked it with my needle to see if it would heal on its own and it did! Apparently, it _is_ something my Devil Fruit does," Emmy said with a smile.

"Cool!" Luffy whistled, "You're learning so many new things about your powers!"

"I know," Emmy breathed, "And I feel like I'm nowhere near figuring out everything I can do."

"Wait, I don't get it," Nami said and scratched her head, "Don't you just eat the Devil Fruit and get your powers automatically?"

"I don't know about others...but in my case," Emmy said, "I haven't spent too much time with it until now and my powers...reveal themselves to me when I feel a need to use it for something."

"Reveal itself?" Zoro asked.

Emmy nodded. "Like for my punch, pull, and push...I didn't realize I could do that until I wanted to learn a way to fight. That was when I was talking to Luffy about my powers...I learned to pacify people when I wanted Luffy to calm down. And I learned how to transfer wounds when I wanted to take the pain away from Chou-Chou."

"You learned to do what?!" Nami gasped.

Emmy smiled proudly at the navigator. "I took all of Chou-Chou's pain away from him by moving his wounds onto my own body."

"That's...amazing," Nami said, "That means you can heal all of us if we ever get shot or stabbed."

"No!" Luffy demanded before Emmy could say anything and both girls turned to him in surprise.

He had leapt to his feet and punched his fists up into the air. "No!" he said again, "Emmy, you are to never, _ever_ do that to me. Okay?"

"Same," Zoro grunted, "My injuries are my own responsibility. Don't ever try to heal me, Emmy."

Emmy turned and blinked at the two boys. Then she smiled and nodded her head. "Okay."

"Well, you are more than welcome to heal me," Nami said and Emmy's face was unmoving as she turned her attention to the navigator.

"We'll see," Emmy said flatly.

"WHAT?!" Nami huffed while Luffy flashed his grin at Zoro.

"Shishishishi," he laughed, "I told you Emmy was strong."

"You are all a bunch of weirdos," Nami snorted, "Even still, it'd be reckless to go straight into the Grand Line now."

"Yeah," Luffy said with a nod, "Having some meat would be nice."

"And some sake," Zoro added.

"And some cleaning supplies," Emmy finished.

"What're you guy talking about?! That's not what I'm saying," Nami snapped, "The Grand Line is crawling with powerful people with powerful ships! We're not ready to enter it with these two boats. We'll need a proper ship."

Luffy frowned. "We need more people too. A cook...and a musician!"

Zoro laughed. "A musician?! This guy…"

"What? Pirates sing, don't they?" Luffy said defensively.

"I also think we'll need a doctor," Emmy replied, "There's only so much we can get by with my knowledge of first aid. Plus, the East Blue is considered the weakest out of all the seas. If Zoro has already been wounded at this stage then-"

"What? You think I can't handle myself?" Zoro growled.

"No!" Emmy hurriedly reassured the swordsman, "You definitely can but a doctor would still be nice."

"Says the one who least needs one now," Zoro scoffed.

"First things first," Nami said as she rolled out her map, "There's an island to the south of here we can go to. If we continue in this direction, we'll hit it in the morning. It'd be best if we try to get a real ship there. Then once we have that, you guys can discuss getting a cook or a doctor for your group."

"Musician!" Luffy insisted.

* * *

Night fell over the two boats with Nami taking watch. She stretched her arms out and stifled a yawn as she kept her eyes on the moonlit horizon. Then her sleepy expression turned into one of annoyance and she shot a dirty look at the swordsman, who was sleeping on the stern of her ship. Why the hell did she have to house this pirate? Why can't he sleep on his own boat with the rest of his crew?

Then she glanced over at the rubber man and his sister. They fell asleep in their own boat, lying next to each other. Thus the need for the swordsman to sleep on Nami's boat because the Monkeys took up most of the space on theirs.

"Emmy...Food.." Luffy murmured in his sleep and he stretched out his arm into the sky to grab a handful of air. Then it limply went back into its rightful form before falling over the rubber man's chest, "Meat...Gimme…I'm hungry…Emmy."

From beside him, Emmy's ears twitched and her eyes opened. She sat up and looked over at her brother. She put a hand on his belly as if checking the extent of his hunger. Then she smiled and was just about to go back to sleep when the navigator let out a very loud snort.

"You really are his lapdog. You even listen to his orders in your sleep."

Emmy rubbed her eyes. "There is a difference between serving someone and caring for someone," she said softly.

"Whatever," Nami grunted.

Emmy tilted her head to the side and glanced at the navigator in the moonlight. Then she looked up at the night sky. The moon was in it's waxing stages. 10 more days and it would be a full moon. Emmy was looking forward to it.

"How come I couldn't come into the room?" Nami asked suddenly and Emmy turned her head back to the navigator, "I can understand you not wanting Luffy and Zoro to come in but I'm a girl too. Why couldn't I come in?"

"I wanted privacy," Emmy said.

"What? Do you have a lot of horrible scars on your body?" Nami joked.

"Just one," Emmy replied and then went back to looking at the moon, not seeing Nami's slightly surprised expression but feeling it instead.

"Where...is your scar?" Nami asked slowly.

"On my back," Emmy said without breaking her gaze from the sky.

"How can you have a scar if you can heal?" Nami asked.

Emmy sighed. "It was given to me when I couldn't use my power for many years so I guess my body just healed it naturally..."

She then smiled apologetically to the navigator. "It's not something I want to talk about anymore. It's a scar from my past that I do not wish to call attention to. That's why I'm here with Luffy."

"You're running away from your past?" Nami asked.

"No. I'm breaking free from it," Emmy said, feeling Nami's surprise increase and then followed an ache that Emmy could not ignore. She turned to Nami and studied her. With just the two of them at a closer proximity and no muddled emotions coming from outsiders, Emmy could feel the girl's mood much more plainly and it was making her see the navigator in a clearer light.

The dark ache within Nami was a blend of mixed emotions but it was a mixture that Emmy, herself, recognized immediately. It was something she had felt for a very long time not too long ago.

"You have chains," Emmy stated.

"What?" Nami gasped.

"You might be able to roam the seas freely but I can feel your chains," Emmy elaborated and then put her hand to her heart, "It's binding you. Right here..."

Nami backed away from the girl and she covered her chest with her hands, as if that would shield her from Emmy. "Stop prying! This is none of your business!"

Emmy blinked and she smiled apologetically. "You're right. I invaded your privacy even though you respected mine. I'm sorry."

She returned to looking at the moon and then she heaved a big sigh. "Nami-san...Did you know that the moon is chained to the earth?"

"Eh?" Nami didn't think she heard her right, "The moon? Why are we talking about the moon?"

"This doctor I once knew told me that the moon is pulled in by the earth's force so it is bound to this earth, despite it being its own entity...The moon is connected to the earth by an invisible chain and the earth pulls it along as it moves around the sun."

Emmy brought her knees up to her chest and she wrapped her arms around it. "The sun is the freest one out of the three. Nothing is compelling it to do anything. It comes and goes as it pleases while the moon is stuck in the same spot, day and night."

Then she took a deep breath. "I used to hate the sun. Every time I saw it, I would get angry. How dare it shine it's freedom so openly at me, when freedom was something I could never dare hope for. How dare it shine so brightly, taunting me with it's happiness and joy, when I was miserable."

She smiled up at the moon. "I preferred the moon over the sun. It was cold, like me. Lifeless, like me, and bound to something that it had no say in being connected to."

Then she directed that smile down at her snoring brother. "But then...I found my family and they taught me to read and write. For my birthday, they even gave me a book about the moon. Do you know what I learned?"

"What?" Nami asked softly.

"The moonlight we see is actually the light from the sun. It borrows its light," Emmy said and she reached over to adjust the hat on Luffy's head so that it didn't get bent out of shape, "I learned to borrow Luffy and Gramps' happiness as my own. Their energy. Their spirit...and that has given me the strength to break some of my own chains."

She looked back up at the moon and she smiled at it. "I might still have some chains left but I know I can break them all as long as I stay in the sun...As long as I stay with Luffy."

She turned to Nami and her face turned solemn. "I'm not going to ask you about your chains...but...if you do need help breaking them...I'm sure Luffy will do all that he can to help. _I_ will do all that I can to help."

"Why?" Nami breathed, "Why would you do that for me? I thought you didn't want me in your crew?"

"You're not a bad person," Emmy said and then she frowned a little, "You're not completely good either but you're definitely not a bad person, Nami-san. I know that."

She sighed and looked back up at the moon. "Luffy already sees you as a nakama, whether you like or not but...for me...that would only happen if you want it too. If you do decide to join us, then when that day comes, maybe we'll break our chains together."

The boat suddenly started to jerk around as the still sleeping rubber boy started to flail about. "AH! A bear! I'll kill it for dinner! Lie very still, Emmy and lure it in!" he roared.

Emmy toppled to the side and almost fell overboard if not for the swift reflexes of the navigator. "What the hell is that guy dreaming about?!" Nami growled as she righted Emmy up.

Emmy giggled and slipped her hand into Luffy's. "You got the bear, Luffy. Time to go home and cook it," she said softly.

He instantly stilled and he laughed in his sleep. "Shishishishi. Emmy! I want the leg all to myself, okay?"

"Idiot," Nami scoffed and then she put her hands on her hips, "And you, Prude, go to sleep. You're distracting me from my night watch duty."

Emmy bowed her head and started to lie back down. "I'm sorry to disturb you. Good night, Nami-san."

"Good night...Emmy."


	12. I am the Help.

True to the navigator's estimate, Luffy and his crew arrived on the shores of a new island right as the morning sun took its place in the sky. Luffy and Zoro each dragged a boat onto the sand. Nami jumped off the boat herself while Luffy helped Emmy off. When her feet touched the shore, Emmy put her hand over mouth to cover a delicate yawn.

Zoro let out a very masculine one and stretched his arms over his head. "Finally...on dry land again…"

Luffy ran inland a little more and he looked around excitedly. The shores were surrounded by rocky cliffs with grass and trees growing at the top of it. There was a steep slope that was carved through the cliffs that led inland. "Do you think there's a town here?"

"Yeah, but it's going to be a small one," Nami answered.

Emmy took a deep breath, enjoying the fragrance of clean, tree-filled air, and she smiled. "It smells so nice and it feels so quiet too. If I close my eyes, I can pretend I'm back on Dawn Island."

Luffy's nose twitched and he started to drool. "Yeah...that means there'll be food. Meat. Meat. Meat. Meat."

"That's not what she meant at all!" Nami snapped.

Without warning, the swordsman took two steps forward with his hand on his sword. "Careful," he said, his eyes narrowing, "I sense someone here."

"Really?" Luffy shouted, taking the less cautious approach, and whipped his head around left and right, "Where? Where? Where? Where? Where?"

Zoro's eyes widened and they snapped to Luffy's feet. "Look out!'

Suddenly, the sand around the rubber boy's sandals were kicked up by incoming shrapnel. Luffy hopped from one foot to another, trying to avoid getting hit. Nami ran back to the boat for cover while Zoro hurriedly pulled Emmy behind him.

The leaves along the edge of the cliffs rustled violently and then a long row of black pirate flags were raised from the bushes. They waved in the wind over the pirates' heads.

"Eh?!" Luffy yelled, "SO COOL!"

"Is this the time to be impressed?!" Nami exclaimed as she peeked over the edge of her boat.

"Hahahaha!"

A loud laugh sailed out from the bushes and a boy stepped forward in front of the pirate flag in the center of the row. He folded his arms over his chest and stuck his unusually long nose in the air. "I am Usopp, leader of the great pirate who reign over this village! People praise me...then they praise me more as 'Captaaaaaiiiiin Usopp'!"

Emmy went up on her toes to glance over Zoro's shoulder at this "great pirate".

"He's lying," she whispered to the swordsman.

"Of course he is," Zoro muttered, "But why are we whispering about this?"

Emmy poked Zoro in the shoulder to get him to look at her and then she pointed over at her brother, who was taking in every word like gospel.

"If you're thinking of attacking this village, then forget it!" Usopp yelled, "My 80 million subordinate won't sit by quietly!"

"AWESOME!" Luffy shouted at the top of his lungs.

"You're lying, aren't you?" Nami called out from the boat and Usopp's hands flew to the top of his yellow bandana tied hair.

"Yikes! She saw through it!" the long nosed boy shrieked.

"See? You admitted it," the crafty thief smirked.

Usopp started to wriggle with panic and shame. "Nooooo. I admitted it to herrrr," he cried.

"He was lying?!" Luffy exclaimed and looked over to his sister for confirmation.

Emmy nodded with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Luffy. He was lying."

"Okay fine," Usopp huffed. Then he quickly regained his composure with a thumb to his chin and a smirk on his lips. "80 million may have been an exaggeration but I do have great men under my command!"

On cue the flags all began to move up and down along the cliffs but that did not fool Nami in the slightest.

"I'm guessing...3 people?" she asked, eyeing the movements of the flags and finding the pattern.

Three heads popped out from under the bushes followed by three pairs of hands, clutching the ends of 6 pirate flags, revealing strings tied around the poles, connecting them to the other flags around the cliffs. The three people were merely children and they screamed bloody murder. "AHHHH! She saw through it!"

The children dropped their props and fled the scene of their crime.

"O-oyyy!" Usopp sputtered to his "men", "Don't run away!"

Nami walked over to where Luffy was and examined his feet. She picked up a bit of shrapnel, which turned out to be just a pachinko ball. Nami smiled. "I've never heard of pirates using slingshots before."

"Anything can be turned into a weapon if used correctly," Zoro said and Emmy stared at him curiously.

"Anything?" she repeated.

Luffy put his hands on his hips and laughed loudly. "You're neat!" he called out to Usopp.

The compliment seemed to only aggravate Usopp. "Hey you! Don't insult me! I'm a very proud man!" he seethed and he pulled out his slingshot. He fit a new pachinko ball in its leather pad and pulled the sling back, aiming it right for Luffy's head, "Because of my great pride, people call me 'Proud Usopp'!"

Luffy lost his humor at the sight of the readied weapon. His face turned solemn and he lowered his hat over his eyes.

"My slingshot skills are far greater than your average pistol!" Usopp declared.

"Now that you've drawn your pistol," Luffy said with his hand still over his hat, "Put your life on the line."

Emmy and Zoro took a second to stare at their captain before stepping out to flank his sides. Zoro lifted his white katana out of its scabbard while Emmy folded her hands in front of her apron.

"Huh?!" Usopp gasped.

"I'm saying that those aren't for threatening people," Luffy stated and lowered his hand but kept his head bowed so the only thing Usopp could see was his confident smirk.

Zoro matched the facial expression of his captain and pushed his white-hilted katana just slightly out of it's scabbard with his thumb. "What you're looking at now are _real_ pirates!"

Emmy nodded and she fixed her solemn expression up at the boy with the slingshot. "Please prepare yourself," she said.

Usopp gulped and his legs started to shake. His arms wobbled and his hands became sweaty. Emmy could hear the strain of the leather cords of his slingshot, jerking up and down while Usopp decided on his next move. His fingers loosened on the leather pad.

_Pop._

The pachinko ball fell limply onto the ground by Usopp's feet and he sank to his knees. "R-Real pirates definitely have way more punch in their words...Awesome…"

Luffy tilted his head back and he grinned. He shared a look with Zoro and Emmy stuck out her tongue sheepishly. The three relaxed their stance and then shared a laugh.

"Shishishishi. I borrowed those lines," Luffy grinned, "From a pirate that I respect, Shanks!"

"Sh-Shanks?! You know 'Red-Haired' Shanks, the great pirate?!" Usopp gasped. He stuck his head out further over the cliff so he could get a better look at the boy in the straw hat.

Luffy nodded. "Ah! Your dad's Yasopp, right?"

"EH?!" In his surprise, Usopp fell forward and over the cliff. He tumbled down to the sand and landed right by Emmy's feet. From such a close distance, Emmy could feel his surprise, confusion, and anxiety. There was so much anxiety.

Usopp balked at Luffy. "Y-Yes...Yasopp is my father...but how do you know that?"

"I'll tell you...," Luffy said and he knelt down so that he was eye level to Usopp and his grin widened, "While we eat."

"Eat?" Usopp asked.

Emmy smoothed out her apron and she smiled at Usopp. "It's very early. Have you had breakfast yet, Usopp-san? Why don't you join us for a meal? We're heading into town anyways."

"Eh?" Usopp breathed and Emmy could feel his anxiety level increase.

"Don't worry. We're not here to harm anyone," Emmy said and she held out her hand to help him to his feet, "Honest."

* * *

Usopp brought them into town, which was more of a hamlet. Emmy could see all of the buildings just from the steps of the restaurant that Usopp had brought them to. The restaurant didn't even have a name. It just had a sign out front that said "Food". Off in the distance, the pirates could see a mansion sitting on top of a grassy hill, overlooking the town.

They were quick to order and even faster in the eating process. Zoro, Luffy, and even Nami dug into the food like they had been out at sea for months instead of just one day. Only Emmy and Usopp ate steadily and with their utensils.

Usopp grinned at the pirates' hearty appetite. "Good, right?"

"Yefff," Luffy agreed with a mouthful of meat and ham hock in his hands.

"So how did you know who my old man was?" Usopp asked.

Luffy gulped down the chunk of food and wiped the grease away with the back of his hand. "I met him when I was a kid when Shanks used my village as his base for a year."

"So my old man's on Shanks' ship?" Usopp asked excitedly.

"Yep! You two look so similar so I knew it was you when I first saw you," Luffy grinned.

Emmy felt a surge of pride in Usopp and it warmed her heart.

"Really?!" Usopp shouted, "My old man's on such an awesome ship?!"

"I don't know about now," Luffy said between bites, "But I bet he's still with him. After all, your dad was a good sharpshooter. He once told me that he could shoot an ant right in between the eyes."

"Whoahhhhh! My old man could do that?" Usopp gasped as he leaned a bit closer to Luffy, "What else did he tell you? What else?"

"Usopp," Luffy grinned as he picked up an apple, "I heard enough about you to make my ears sore. Yasopp was a great pirate but he'd often talk about you more than his own adventures."

Usopp leaned back in his seat and stared wondrously at the ceiling. "I'm so proud of my old man, who leapt onto these possibly endless seas...to live with his life on the line..."

Nami set down her mug of water and grinned at Usopp. "This makes things easier then if you two are friends! Usopp, do you know anyone in this village who can supply us with a big ship?"

Usopp sighed and pointed out the window, "As you can see, this is just a tiny village. Sorry, but we can't live up to your hopes."

"On the top of the hill…" Zoro said as he took a break from chugging down some ale, "There was a huge mansion."

Emmy felt Usopp tense and put his guard up but Nami and Zoro did not notice a thing.

"Think you could ask them to help pay for one?" Nami asked.

"You can't go there!" Usopp shouted sternly.

Luffy, Zoro, and Nami were taken aback by the sudden change in Usopp's demeanor while Emmy batted her eyes at the sniper, who immediately faked a smile.

"I-I just remembered something I hafta do!" he announced and got up to his feet, "You guys stay. Eat and drink all you want! Alright...Later!"

With that, he dashed off before they could say anything back. The door swung shut and the pirates all turned to look at Emmy.

"What was that about?" Nami asked, "Is there something bad at the mansion?"

Emmy shook her head. "Quite the opposite. He was feeling protective...There's something or someone there he wants to guard."

"Eh? But we're not bad people…" Nami said with a frown, "So it's not like we'll do anything bad there. All we're asking if for a ship."

"That's a pretty big ask," Zoro snorted, picking back up his mug of ale.

Emmy got up to her feet and she smoothed out her apron. "Why don't I give it a try?"

"Eh?" Once again, Luffy, Zoro, and Nami were taken by surprise and they blinked at the blonde.

"Try what?" Nami asked.

Emmy smiled. "The bigger the house, the bigger the cleaning needs are. I can go there and pretend to be a maid looking for work. While I'm inside the house, I can find out more about who lives there. I won't be doing any harm. If anything, I'll be helping them."

"That could work," Nami said with a grin, "You could befriend the owner and get on his good side. Then when we ask for a ship, he wouldn't say no."

"Okay," Emmy said with a bow of her head, "I'll be off then. I'll let you guys know what I find."

She turned for the door. Just then, Luffy's hand shot out and grabbed her by the wrist, stopping her from moving any further. "No," Luffy said and he casually reached for another plate of food, "Emmy's not going."

"Why?" Nami demanded, while Zoro studied his captain over the brim of his mug.

Luffy turned to look his sister dead in the eyes. "You're a pirate, not a servant."

"I know," Emmy said, not losing the smile on her face, "I'm just pretending to be one...Just like how I pretended with you back on the shores that we were going to attack Usopp. I want to be useful, Luffy. Please let me do this."

Luffy stared at his sister for a moment. Then his usual grin stretched across his face and he released his hold. "Okay," he said as he started to eat again, "We'll swing by a little later and you can tell us what you find."

"Okay," Emmy replied. She took one final bow at the group, pulled some coins out of her apron pocket and handed it to Nami, "Here. This should help cover for some of it."

Nami's eyes flashed at the sight of money and she looked expectantly at Emmy. "See if you can find a vault while you're there...Or at least find out where they keep their jewelry!"

"Oy! We're asking them for a ship. We're not trying to rob them," Zoro snapped, "And I thought you only stole from pirates?"

Nami winked at him. "If Emmy and you steal it, I can just take it from you two later. That technically counts as stealing from pirates."

"Why are you pulling me into your plans?!"

Emmy and Luffy laughed at the pair. Their eyes caught each other's and Emmy smiled once more at her brother before heading off to the mansion.

The mansion was exquisitely built but the upkeep was not at the same level. Emmy could see that as she stood on the other side of the iron gate. There were smudges on the white stone, slightly overgrown vines, and the landscaping needed a bit more work too. She bowed her head at the two guards, who stood at the front gate with their hands folded behind their suited backs.

"Please, I would like to speak to the head of the house," she said.

"What business do you have here?" one of the guards asked.

"I am in search of employment," Emmy stated.

"We've never seen you before. You must be new to this island. How did you get here?" the other guard asked.

"I came in my friend's boat," Emmy said, which was true, "They are only passing by this island on their way to another one."

The guards eyed her cautiously and Emmy could feel their doubt decreasing. Then she heard the sounds of a lock clicking open and the iron gates opening.

"Go in and ask for Klahadore-san. He is the butler and the one in charge," one of the guards said, "I must warn you, though. He will definitely turn you away."

She straightened up her spine and she nodded at both of them. "Thank you very much for your help and your warning."

Emmy walked through the courtyard with her head held high but inside, she was a bit shaken. With every step she took towards the double doors of the mansion, she was reminded of the mansion of Lord and Lady Boysen. Of course, it was a far cry from it but a mansion was still a mansion.

The Boysen's estate was a lot bigger than this one and was definitely kept in better shape. Everything the lord and lady owned was white and red with gold accents, from the furniture to the roses they grew in the gardens.

This mansion smelled of violets and pansies and looked a lot more inviting than intimidating. The fact that there were only two guards at the gate and that she couldn't hear any sounds from the other side of the door meant that this house was considerably short staffed. Emmy guessed about 5 to 10 people at most. She forced herself to focus on these differences to ease her mind. Besides, it wasn't like she was actually going back to serfdom. This was only for today and it wasn't real.

 _I am not a servant. I'm just pretending,_ Emmy thought to herself as she banged on the knocker, _I am just being useful to my nakama._

She took a step back and folded her hands back together as she waited patiently for someone to come greet her. She stared at her arms and the image of the wounds and lash marks from the lion tamer flashed in her mind. She wasn't strong enough then to fight him off. She realized her power, although allowing her to deal some sort of physical blow, was not something she could rely on in situations like that. Her power was a passive power. She needed something more aggressive. She needed a weapon...but she didn't know what.

She wasn't strong enough to wield a sword. The blow back from a gun would certainly knock her off her feet. They were already out at sea so for her to find a new weapon and get used to it would be asking too much from her. Besides, how would she learn how to use that weapon? There was barely any space on the boat for her to lie down in, much less train.

Zoro had said anything could be a weapon if used correctly and Emmy was scouring her brain for things she could use but she couldn't think of anything.

She sighed and smoothed out her apron. For now, she may not be able to help in terms of battle, but she still wanted to aid her nakama in her own way. _I can't fight like Zoro and Luffy but I can clean. That's what I do best._

She stood there for five more minutes before trying the knocker once again. This time, she heard footsteps approaching after the first knock.

She returned to her position and fixed a soft smile on her face. The door slowly opened and Emmy bowed her head. "Hello. My name is Monkey D. Emmy. I am the help."


	13. I am a Professional

"We are not in need of any additional help. It might seem like we are understaffed at the moment but that is only because the staff is on leave today."

The butler was as stiff as a board while he adjusted his spectacles with the palm of his hand. He stood as tall as Zoro with an even rigider posture. His short black hair was slicked back with not a strand out of place. He wore a black suit with golden markings on each side of his blazer. Emmy couldn't tell if they were in the shape of gourds or poop.

"I would only need to work for today then. I can leave as soon as night falls," Emmy rushed, not to be deterred as she kept her head bowed, "Please. Just give me the opportunity and I will show you that I am very good at what I do."

The butler sniffed and he eyed the girl before placing his hands behind his back. "Very well," he said, "Someone needs to clean the chandeliers anyways and the second butler in charge, who usually does it, hasn't returned from his errand yet. I might as well have you do it."

Emmy bowed. "Thank you very much."

"Follow me," he said as he turned on his heels and walked brusquely through the main hall of the mansion, "What is your name?"

"Monkey D. Emmy," Emmy said and she followed closely behind.

"The lady we serve is Kaya-sama," Klahadore explained, "She is ill so only Merry and I are to serve her directly. By no means should you ever be in contact with her."

Emmy tilted her head to the side. "Klahadore-san, I don't mean to be rude but...have you not been a butler long?"

Klahadore stopped right in his tracks and Emmy felt him tick. _I've touched a nerve._

"What makes you say that, Emmy-chan?" Klahadore asked curtly.

"The standard practice is that when the lady or lord of the house is not feeling well," Emmy said softly, "We, as the staff, are not to call attention to it. We would not use the words 'ill' or 'sick', even amongst each other."

Klahadore adjusted his glasses and Emmy could feel his pressure rise. "It is true. I have only been a butler here for 3 years, Emmy-chan. Kaya-sama's father took me in 3 years ago. I was starving on the streets and he showed pity on me. I learned everything by watching Merry."

"I see," Emmy said and she smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry if I touched a sensitive topic for you. I didn't realize."

"That is quite alright," Klahadore recovered smoothly as he continued on his way, "If anything, this just shows what a professional you are. You must have served some very important people."

Emmy had to make a little effort to keep the smile on her face. "Ah," she said, "I served two different households before I came here."

Klahadore clucked his tongue. "At such a young age too and already working this much."

Emmy tilted her head to the side. There was no sincerity in him when he said that. His tone might have sounded sympathetic it but he didn't feel it. There was something slightly off with this butler. Before she could pry any deeper, she heard a loud crashing sound coming from outside.

The sudden rise in annoyance and malice from Klahadore made Emmy flinch and she took a step back just as he turned around to face her. He misinterpreted her reaction and he adjusted his spectacles. "Don't worry, Emmy-chan. I know who that could be and he is no danger to us. He's just a meddlesome fool."

He rushed off past Emmy, out towards the front door and Emmy hastily chased after him. _What was that?_ , Emmy thought, _Just now...I felt...bloodlust?_

They ran around the corner from the courtyard, towards the back of the house and Klahadore slowed his pace to a leisurely walk when he spotted the source of the disturbance. Luffy stood with his back to them and the three children from the cliffs were there with him. The rubber boy was looking up at Usopp, who was sitting on top of a branch that grew right outside the bedroom window. Leaning out the window was a girl with shoulder length blonde hair and an even paler complexion than Emmy's. Nami and Zoro were splayed out on the grass, reeling from whatever the rubber boy had done to get them there.

"You, there!" Klahadore called out, "What are you doing?!"

The group turned to them and Usopp almost fell off the branch when he spotted Emmy next to the butler. "Wh-wh-what are you doing over there?!"

Klahadore raised an eyebrow and looked over at Emmy. "Are you friends with this boy?"

Emmy shook her head. "We just met when I arrived on the shores. He said he was a pirate."

Klahadore sniffed. "He's the town liar. It's best not to trust him."

He then turned back to Usopp and Luffy. "I do not appreciate you breaking in here without permission!"

"Who's he?" Luffy asked, leaning to his side so he can direct the question at Emmy.

"This is Klahadore-san, the head butler," Emmy replied.

That made Klahadore give Emmy his full attention and she felt his suspicions rise. "I thought you said you weren't friends with them?" he asked slowly.

"Not the boy in the tree," Emmy replied and bowed her head, "The rest of the group are my nakama. My brother is the one in the straw hat. I am working in order to support us."

"I see," Klahadore said and he turned back towards Usopp, even though Emmy could still feel the doubt he had towards her, "Emmy-chan, I would advise you and your friends not to associate yourself with that boy. He is nothing but the son of a filthy pirate."

The tension in the air increased exponentially and Emmy looked nervously between Usopp and Luffy. Both of their expressions had darkened, Usopp most of all.

"Filthy?" he whispered.

Klahadore adjusted his spectacles. "I feel for you. You must truly hate your great idiot of a father for abandoning his family and village because of his lust for treasure."

"Don't you dare," Usopp roared as he leapt off the branch towards Klahadore, tackling him to the ground and giving him a hard punch across his face, "Don't you dare insult my father any more!"

Emmy winced mostly out of reaction as she felt pressure on her own cheek and she quickly moved several steps away from the butler to avoid feeling any more of it.

"Captain!" the three children cried out in alarm.

Usopp got to his feet and he glared at the butler, who shakily sat up and adjusted his spectacles.

"S-see! You immediately resort to violence!" Klahadore said accusingly, "Like father, like son."

"SHUT UP!" Usopp snapped, "I'm proud that my father is a pirate! I'm proud that he's a brave warrior of the sea! You're right. I _am_ an exaggerator but I'll never lie about my pride to be related by blood to a pirate. I'm the son of a pirate!"

"Hmph. That's quite a twisted way of putting things," the butler sniffed. He got up to his feet and dusted off his suit and pants. "You're the undeniable proof of his savage blood. You run around spouting lies and act violent whenever you're angry. And to top it off, you cozy up to the lady of this house so you can get her fortune."

"What?! I only-" Usopp started to say.

"The fact that your father is a pirate is proof in and of itself that you'd hatch such a scheme!" Klahadore shouted.

Emmy tilted her head to the side. Even though she was far away to avoid sensing the pain from the butler, she could still feel very subtly a flash of glee within him. He was enjoying this. He was enjoying the torment he was inflicting on Usopp.

Usopp lunged forward and grabbed Klahadore by the collar, pulling his fist back. "Damn it! You still won't let up?!"

"Please stop, Usopp-san!" the girl from the bedroom called out.

Emmy looked over at her. She was her nightdress with a light shawl draped over her dainty shoulders. She didn't have any airs about her but her whole delicate frame and demeanor showed to Emmy that she was a person who needed to be taken care of. _That must be Kaya-sama._

"Klahadore isn't a bad person! He's just trying too hard to do what's best for me!" Kaya pleaded to Usopp.

Usopp gritted his teeth but his grip loosened from the butler's shirt. Klahadore noticed this and he slapped Usopp's hand away. "Leave this place," he said sternly, "Never come to this mansion again."

Usopp dropped his hand to his side. "Yeah. No need to tell me. I'll never come back here again!" he yelled and stormed off past Klahadore and Emmy.

His three followers ran up towards the butler. "Our captain is not that kind of guy!" one of them declared.

"Yeah! Stupid-head!" another one shouted.

"STUPID HEAD!" Luffy added.

"Why are you chiming in?" Zoro asked as he grabbed Luffy from behind so that the rubber man couldn't charge at the butler.

Klahadore glared at them. "All of you, leave at once!" he demanded.

Emmy stood up a little straighter at the authoritative tone and her nervous eyes instinctively moved to find her brother.

As soon as their eyes met, Luffy stilled and stopped struggling against Zoro's grip. Then he tilted his hat over his eyes. "Fine. We're leaving," he said, "Emmy. You too. You're not working here. Not for him."

Emmy bowed her head and she smiled apologetically at Klahadore. "I'm sorry, Klahadore-san but consider my application withdrawn. It seem the management here is not up to standards."

"What? You-" Klahadore started to say but Emmy was already running towards her brother, who was grinning back at her.

She smiled politely at the girl in the bedroom. "I hope you feel better, Kaya-sama. Please get some rest."

Kaya blinked back at her. "Who are you...and how did you know that I'm sick?"

Emmy turned and bowed her head to Klahadore. "Klahadore-san, this is why we don't bring attention to our master's physical well-being. We keep their private matters private and we don't interfere with them either."

She looked back up at Kaya. "Usopp-san is a good friend to you, Kaya-sama. I hope you realize that and I hope you realize that as the lady of the house, you have the final word on who you can and cannot be friends with. You're free to do whatever you want."

"Well said," Zoro grunted.

Luffy grabbed Emmy's hand and he gently pulled it towards him to get her attention. "Let's go, Emmy."

"Ah," Emmy said giving another kind nod to the lady in the window before following her brother, the navigator, and the swordsman towards the exit. As they passed by the butler, Emmy felt a chill run down her spine. The butler was trying very hard to resist the urge to kill them. She held Luffy's hand just a bit tighter until they were outside the estate grounds.

They wordlessly let the children take the lead and they followed them to the outskirts of the village where it was nothing but open fields and trees. The children sat down along a fence that lined the dirt road. As soon as they got settled, Emmy dropped her hold on Luffy's hand and she bowed apologetically to the group.

"I'm sorry," she sighed, "I didn't end up helping out in anyway at all."

She felt a large hand on the back of her head and she looked up to see Zoro frowning down at her. "It's not your fault that the butler is a jerk," Zoro said, "Right, Luffy?"

"Ah," Luffy said as he placed his hands behind his head. "I wonder where Usopp is."

"Captain usually goes to the south shore when he's upset," one of the kids said.

"I'll go find him then," Luffy grinned and he looked over at the swordsman, "Zoro?"

"Ah. I'll stay here with Emmy and Nami," Zoro said with a nod. Nami looked curiously between the two.

Zoro caught the navigator's eyes and he muttered to her under his breath so the kids wouldn't hear, "There's something off with that butler."

Emmy walked towards the children, who were sitting in a semi-circle with their backs to the fence. They had pulled out a deck of cards and one of them was starting to shuffle the deck. She knelt in front of them, closing the circle, and she smiled. "My name is Monkey D. Emmy. You three were at the cliffs with Usopp-san before, yes?"

The children nodded. "That's our captain. We are the Usopp Pirates!" one of them exclaimed.

"I see," Emmy said, "So did you follow him into the mansion to speak to Kaya-sama?"

"Actually, no," Nami replied with slight annoyance as she hoisted herself up to sit on top of the fence, "They came running into the restaurant a while after you left. They thought we had eaten Usopp."

Emmy blinked. "Eaten...Usopp-san?"

One of the child started to blush. "It was an honest mistake, okay?! Luffy-san's belly was huge and Captain Usopp was gone! What were we supposed to think?"

"That we were eating at a restaurant!" Nami snapped back.

Emmy giggled. "You three must really care about Usopp-san then."

All three children nodded earnestly. Emmy sighed. She could feel them worrying about Usopp and they were also feeling a bit helpless, just like her. She reached over and picked up the deck of cards. "Would you like me to show you a magic trick?"

"Eh?" the children asked as she shuffled the cards with just one hand.

Emmy kept the soft smile on her face and with a flick of her wrist, she held the Ace of Hearts in between her index and middle finger while holding to the rest of the deck in her palm. "I'm quite good," she said.

"Whoaaaaah! How did you do that?!" the children gasped, their concerns and worries overtaken by surprise and wonder. Even Nami leaned in a bit closer and squinted her eyes at Emmy.

"How _did_ you do that?" Nami asked.

Emmy kept her smile on her face but the navigator saw a look of sadness flash past her eyes. "I used to play cards with one of the ladies I served," she replied, "And she loved magic tricks."

Then the sadness was gone with the next blink and Emmy moved her gaze to the children. She held out the deck to them with the back facing up. "Now...pick a card," she said cheerfully, "Any card!"

She showed them a couple of sleight of hand tricks and then they settled into a game of cards. One of the children wandered off but his remaining two friends assured the grown-ups that he'll be back. Apparently, he always had a tendency to go off by himself, only to come screaming back when he spots something that freaked him out.

It only took three more rounds of cards for that assumption to be confirmed.

"AAAAHHHH! BAD NEWS!" the child called Onion screamed as he raced down the road towards Emmy, Zoro, Nami, and his two friends, "A weird guy is walking backgrounds this way!"

"Liar," his two friends remarked in unison, not even bothering to look up from their cards.

Onion stamped his foot and pointed in the direction that he came from. "It's the truth! Just look."

Emmy lowered her cards and followed his eyeline.

"Ah! He's right! There's a weird guy!" Onion's two friends cried out.

The man was close enough to be within earshot and he turned to them, revealing wide, thin lips and heart shaped sunglasses. His long, cylindrical goatee was wrapped in a red and black striped fabric. "Oy!" he snapped, "Who's calling me a weird guy? I am not a weird."

The three grownups blinked at him. "Seems pretty weird to me," Nami stated.

"Don't be stupid," he scoffed, "I'm just an ordinary hypnotist passing through."

"H-Hypnotist?" the children gasped.

"I don't think hypnotists are ordinary," Emmy commented with a frown.

"Show us something!" the children pleaded, "Do something!"

"What?" the hypnotist growled, "Don't be dumb! Why would I want to show my powers to a bunch of strangers?!"

Before Emmy could even nod in agreement, he had his hand out with a chakram dangling from a string.

"Alright. Watch this ring closely," he said to the children.

"Wait...so you _are_ going to do it?" Zoro asked as a sweat dropped down his, Emmy, and Nami's heads.

Emmy folded her hand of cards and she looked up at Zoro and Nami. "What do you guys think?" Emmy asked.

"Weird," Zoro and Nami said in unison.

"You'll feel sleepy at the count of 'one, two, Jango!'" the hypnotist instructed as the chakram began to swing back and forth, "Alright, here we go...One...two...Jango!"

Instantly, the three kids fell onto their backs and began to snore very loudly. The hypnotist himself did the same thing. A vein throbbed in the back of the swordsman's head.

"Oy! What's with this guy?" Zoro seethed.

"Amazing!" Emmy marvelled, "He really did hypnotise them."

"It's no different than you putting the mayor to sleep!" Nami snapped and Emmy stuck her tongue out sheepishly.

"I guess you're right," she said and then she let out a little gasp, "Does that make me weird too?"

"No," Zoro said.

"Yes," Nami said at the same time, "But you're not as weird as that guy."

Emmy smiled. "Okay."

Emmy walked up and tapped the sleeping hypnotist's shoulder. "Excuse me, sir. You shouldn't sleep here. You'll catch a cold. Excuse me? Sir?"

The hypnotist stirred and then he stopped. With his sunglasses over his eyes, Emmy couldn't tell if he was staring up at her or if he had gone back to sleep. Then he jerked into a seated position which startled Emmy and she leapt back in fright.

"Kya!' she gasped as the man got up to his feet.

"I'm up!," he announced and angled his head to place his hand over his hat, "I'm awake. Ah! And I'm late."

He moonwalked down the dirt road again, posing with his chin down. Emmy, Nami, and Zoro wordlessly watch him head towards the south side of the island. Then all three's eyes moved to the sleeping children.

"Okay...That was weird….but...we should wake up the kids now too," Nami said. She jumped up from her seat and nudged the swordsman with her foot. Zoro grunted but got up from his napping position.

They each took a kid and woke them up in their own way.

_Thwack! Bonk!_

Zoro and Nami each smacked their kid hard on the forehead, Nami with her palm and Zoro with the hilt of his katana. Emmy, on the other hand, took a more delicate approach. She pinched Carrot's nose and covered his mouth with her other hand.

Carrot started to turn purple in the face and then his eyes flew open. Immediately, Emmy released her hold and he sat right up. "PWAHHHHHH!" Carrot gasped.

Emmy felt the surprise from everyone around her and she smiled back at her audience. "That's the fastest way to wake Luffy up without him punching you away," she said.

"What a weird sibling dynamic," Nami murmured to Zoro.

"Speaking of Luffy," Zoro grunted, "Don't you think they've been gone for a very long time?"

"Captain had gotten quite a shock today," Onion stated, "He must've needed a longer time than usual to get over it."

"AHHHH!" Pepper screamed, leaping to his feet and pointing towards the horizon, "Captain is coming!"

"Huh?" the three adults turned to look down the road and saw that indeed, Usopp was sprinting at them and he was going full throttle. He was kicking up so much dust in the air that the cloud was bigger than him.

"Captain!" the children cheered.

"Why isn't Luffy with him?" Zoro asked.

"Hey, Usopp! Where's Luffy?" Nami called out as Usopp approached them, "Wasn't he at the shore with- Eh?!"

Usopp ran straight through the group without even pausing in his step as if they weren't there. Just as quick as he came, he was gone again.

"Is he still mad about his dad being insulted?" Nami wondered and Emmy's eye widened.

Usopp had brushed right past her so she felt his mood as clear as day.

"No...He's panicking!" Emmy cried, "Something has him freaked out."

She turned to face the direction he came from. "Do you think something happened to Luffy?!"

"Oy! Where is the place your captain likes to go to?" Zoro demanded from the kids, "Show us now!"

The kids huddled together excitedly. "Doesn't this smell like an incident?" Onion asked.

His two friends nodded. "It sounds like a job for the Usopp Pirates!" they cheered in unison.

"We get it! Now just show us where it is!" Zoro snapped.


	14. I am not Good with Plans.

They found Luffy sleeping at the base of a cliff on the southern shores in the oddest position Emmy had ever seen. His back was on the sand but his legs were thrown over his head. He looked like a cinnamon roll on its side. _Well this is a new one...even for someone who has fallen asleep almost everywhere on Mt. Colubo._

"Luffy?" Emmy asked as she brought his legs back to its normal spot so that Luffy was lying flat on the sand. She then pinched her brother's nose and covered his mouth, "Wake up, please."

She stayed like that for a solid 5 seconds.

"PWAHHHH!" Luffy gasped, mimicking the exact same movements of Carrot. He grabbed his throat and panted for air, "I'm up! I'm up, Emmy!"

"Good," Emmy said with a smile and placed Luffy's fallen straw hat back on his head, "Now can you please tell us what happened? Usopp ran past us and something has him scared. What made him feel like that?"

"Eh?" Luffy said as he looked around the shore, 'What am I doing down here?"

He fell back so that he could stare right up at the cliffs and then he frowned. "Last thing I remember, Usopp and I were up there," Luffy said as he pointed at the edge of the cliff, which was Usopp's favorite spot, "And we saw that butler guy with a really weird dude."

"Must be the hypnotist," Nami guessed, "And that explains why Luffy was asleep down here."

Emmy nodded and looked up at the cliffs, "He probably fell down and given how he was positioned, any normal person would assume Luffy would've died on impact."

"Shishishishi. I don't know about that," Luffy laughed as sat back up, "But I do know that Usopp and I overheard the butler and the weird guy talk about their plans to kill that Kaya girl and attack the village. Apparently, they're in a pirate crew together."

"EH?! They're going to kill Kaya-san and attack the village?!" the children shrieked as Emmy gasped.

"Klahadore-san is a pirate?!"

"Yeah, that's what they said," Luffy replied, "No question about it."

"Kaya-sama is in danger..." Emmy murmured, "No wonder Usopp was in a panic."

"He's probably off warning the village," Nami said with a wave of her hand and she turned to the kids, "The village is probably preparing to run away to safety. You guys should go too."

"Yes! Yes, we should go!" the kids agreed.

"Yes, we need to get all our belongings!" Onion said, "Our treasures! My books!"

"My piggy bank!" Pepper added.

"My toys!" Carrot finished. They all shared a firm nod and then they darted back towards the village.

"Shishishishi," Luffy grinned and then a horrified look came over his face, "OH NO!"

"What?" Zoro, Nami, and Emmy asked as they stood at the ready.

"We need to get to the meat shop before they pack up and run away! Quick! Follow the kids!" he screamed, getting to his feet and racing off like a bat out of hell.

"EH?!" his three friends cried and rushed after him.

They quickly caught up with the children as they headed back into town. The sun was starting to set and they found an orange glowed Usopp standing dejectedly in the middle of the road. His head was lowered and Emmy felt his depressed mood get stronger and stronger with every step she took towards him.

"CAPTAIN USOPP!" the children cried and his head snapped up.

"LUFFY?!" Usopp gasped when his eyes rested on the rubber boy, "You're alive?!"

"Alive? Yeah. I just woke up!" Luffy said jovially back.

"He was asleep the whole time!" one of the kids reported, "Anyways, Captain! We heard everything!"

"Let's hurry and tell everyone about the pirates!" Onion cried.

"Tell...everyone...?" Usopp whispered. A dark look came over Usopp's face and Emmy felt a rush of pain, guilt, anger, and duty.

"Usopp-san...?" Emmy whispered and took a step towards him. Before she could say anything, though, Usopp threw his head back and let out a loud laugh.

"Hahahhaha. I'm lying as usual!" he said with forced cheer, "That butler pissed me off so I decided to hurt him by claiming he was a pirate."

The kids started to laugh along with their captain. "I see. So you put the straw hat guy up to it too!"

Emmy tilted her head to the side and she stared curiously at the group. They were all laughing with giant smiles on their faces but inside...no one was feeling humorous at all.

The laughter from the children died and they frowned disapprovingly at their captain as they walked past him.

"What? What's wrong?" Usopp asked, noticing their change in attitude.

"I think less of you now," one of the kids said.

"Even if that butler is a jerk, I never thought you'd actually go and hurt someone," Onion added with a shake of his head, "I'm going to go home."

"Me too…"

"Me too."

The sorrow that flooded through Usopp was enough to make Emmy cry so she took a step closer to Luffy and put her head on his shoulder just in case any of her own tears should fall. He patted the back of her head but kept his eyes on Usopp, who watched his three followers abandon him.

"Luffy…" Usopp said, forcing another smile on his face and looking back at Luffy, "Just forget what you saw okay? Just leave this place and pretend nothing has happened. This has nothing to do with you guys."

"Nope," Luffy replied flatly and Usopp's smile twitched.

"What do you mean no?" he asked, "I'm saying this problem doesn't concern you. We can't get you a ship and there's nothing in this town for you anyways so you might as well go."

"Nope," Luffy said again and this time Usopp's smile was wiped off his face.

"OY! Luffy!" Usopp shouted as he stormed towards Luffy and Emmy, with the full intent to punch the daylights out of the boy in the straw hat, "I told you-"

"Ah!' Emmy suddenly cried out when Usopp was just a few steps from her and she jerked her left arm back as if he had stabbed her.

"Emmy?" Luffy, Zoro, and Nami gasped.

"Ah! I didn't hurt you! I didn't do anything!" Usopp shrieked. He threw his arms up in front of his face as if any moment, Luffy or Zoro would retaliate.

Emmy blinked at her arm and then her eyes moved to a wrist guard that Usopp wore around his left wrist. Wordlessly, she reached over towards his arm.

"Oy! What are you-" Usopp started to say until Emmy pulled back his wrist guard to reveal a bleeding gunshot wound.

"EH?!" Nami and Zoro gasped.

"Who shot you?" Emmy asked quietly, "Klahadore-san?"

"H-how did you-" Usopp started to ask.

"Who shot you?" Emmy pressed, "Was it Klahadore-san?"

"N...No," Usopp said, saddened by his failure and being caught in his bluff, "It was Merry...Kaya's other butler...He was trying to protect her from me...They thought I was lying and when I tried to take Kaya away, they accused me of trying to kidnap her."

There was a stabbing of guilt, betrayal, and heartache that made Emmy drop her hold on his wrist and she took a couple steps back. Luffy put a hand on her shoulder from going too far.

"What is Usopp feeling right now?" he asked solemnly.

Emmy smiled softly at her brother despite the distress Usopp's emotions were causing her. "He's feeling very alone right now. He could use some friends."

Luffy nodded and he eyed Usopp. "Come on. Let's go talk on the shore."

Usopp hung his head in defeat. "Okay…"

* * *

By the time they returned to Usopp's spot, it was nighttime and they could hear owls hooting and crickets chirping all around the island. The pirates watched wordlessly as Emmy treated Usopp's gunshot wound.

"Why did you lie to the children?" Luffy asked as he watched Nami hand Emmy a bandage.

"They were never going to believe me from the start...I was too optimistic," Usopp sighed. He nodded his thanks when Emmy tied the finishing knot and released his arm back into his care.

"The truth is still the truth though," Zoro pointed out.

Usopp's fists clenched to his sides. "But I've lied too much to them that they don't believe me even when I tell them the truth anymore," he said through gritted teeth.

"Pirates are really going to come, aren't they?" Nami asked.

"Yeah, they are but everyone thinks it's a lie," Usopp said, "They think tomorrow will be just another normal, peaceful day…"

His teeth grit even harder and he rose up from his seat. "That's why I'm going to stop the pirates at the beach tomorrow and make sure this stays a lie!" he said with as much confidence as he could muster, "That's the only logical thing for a liar like me to do!"

He sat back down on a rock and he put his hand over his new bandage. "Even if I get shot in the arm, even if I get chased off with brooms, this is my village! I love this village! I want to protect everyone!" he shouted as teared flowed down his eyes.

Emmy shared a look with Luffy, Zoro, and then Nami. Then she smiled.

"You're a very nice guy, Usopp-san," Emmy said.

"Ah," Zoro said as he adjusted the swords on his side, "Pushing your henchmen away and going into battle alone."

"Just so you know," Nami added sternly, "I have dibs on all the pirates' treasure."

"Yosh! We'll help you out!" Luffy announced as he started to wind up his arms

Usopp sniffled and wiped the tears away from his eyes. "You guys...are going to fight with me? Why?"

"There's a whole bunch of bad guys, right?" Luffy asked.

"And I don't need Emmy to know that you're scared," Zoro scoffed, "It's written all over your face."

"Eh? Me scared?!" Usopp huffed as he leapt to his feet, "I'm perfectly okay with bad guys or whatever. I'm Captain Usopp! Brave warrior of the sea!"

"That's all fine and good except…" Nami said and pointed at his knees that were knocking together as his legs trembled with fear.

"Oy! These are Klahadore's pirates we're dealing with!" Usopp snapped, "Of course, I'm scared! I don't want your sympathy! You guys can leave. Leave!"

"Who said anything about sympathy? We're helping because we think you're honorable," Zoro scoffed.

Luffy frowned. "As if we'd put our life on the line for sympathy. Don't be ridiculous!"

New tears began to flow down Usopp's tears and Emmy felt an overwhelming wave of gratitude from him. She walked over to Usopp and she put a hand on his shoulder.

"Usopp-san, may I tell you something about yourself?" she asked.

"What...what is it?" Usopp asked.

Emmy smiled. "You might be full of lies but inside, you're actually a very straightforward person. I don't know if I've ever met someone whose emotions are as clean-cut as yours. Your heart is genuine and I hope you never change that."

* * *

Emmy sat on the slope of the southern shore with her eyes up at the moon as she hugged her knees to her chest. It seemed everything around her was peaceful. The waves crashed against the sand in a rhythmic roar, the owls hooted their lullaby, and the trees rustled with the gently passing wind. It was just such a shame that the people around her were not taking the time out to enjoy this moment.

"Alright!" Usopp declared from the top of the slope as he pointed down to the shores, "They're going to attack from this shore at daybreak. But the only route into the village is this one slope. Everything else is cliff, making it tougher to get up. In other words, if we can defend this slope to the death, the village won't get attacked.

"Oh. That's easy!" Luffy said with a nod. Emmy turned to look back at her brother, who was standing right behind her with Zoro and Nami next to him. She frowned at the back of his head. She had the feeling she was forgetting something but she couldn't remember what.

"Talking about it is easy but the rest depends on our strength. What can you guys do?" Usopp asked.

"Cut."

"Stretch."

"Steal."

"Clean."

Usopp nodded and he put his hands on his hips. "Hide," he finished.

"You've got to fight too!" Luffy, Nami, and Zoro snapped as Luffy put Usopp into a headlock.

"I'm just kidding! I'm just kidding!" Usopp wheezed.

Emmy laughed and she stared back at the moon. When the sun returns, it'll bring forth the pirates. They had until dawn to prepare. Although, Emmy wasn't sure how exactly they were going about doing so since having a plan was never something Luffy or Emmy ever really thought about.

 _What do you think we should do, moon?_ , Emmy thought as she blinked up at the waxing moon, _You see everything. You probably see the pirates already since they're on their way here...so what do you think?_

"Oy, Emmy, whatcha doin'?" Luffy exclaimed as he plopped himself down next to his sister, "Are you talking to the moon again?"

Emmy nodded. "I was just asking the moon what it thinks we should do."

"Shishishi," Luffy grinned, "Fight, of course."

He jumped to his feet and thrust his fists in the air. "I'll punch them so hard my fist will reach right to the moon!"

Emmy laughed even louder. "Don't you mean, you'll send them to the moon?"

"Yep, that," Luffy said and then shouted up at the moon itself, "Ya hear that, moon? I'm going to send a couple of scumbags your way!"

"What are you guys doing?" Nami asked as she sat down next to Emmy while Zoro lied down with his hands behind his head next to Luffy.

Emmy grinned. "We're talking to the moon."

Nami rolled her eyes while Emmy looked to her sides and then turned to look behind her. "Where's Usopp-san?"

"He went to go get something he said we could use," Nami said with a wave of her hand and then she frowned at Emmy, "Hey, you spent some time with just that butler guy. You didn't feel anything suspicious?"

Emmy shook her head. "He was very rigid, which was what is expected of a butler, but I knew he wasn't a real one. When I asked him, he said it was because he was taken in by Kaya-sama's parents 3 years ago so he was trained informally. He wasn't lying so I didn't dig any deeper than that…"

She bit her lip. "I'm sorry. I did sense he did have malice in his heart but I thought it was only towards people who wished Kaya-sama harm. I should've known."

"Idiot," Zoro scoffed, "You're an empath not a mind reader. You should be happy we got you out of there early. Who knows what would've happened to you if you stayed behind."

Emmy nodded and she smiled at the swordsman. "En, thank you, Zoro."

"Don't thank me, thank Luffy. He was the one who came charging towards the mansion after we finished eating."

Emmy looked over at her brother. "You did?"

"You're a pirate. Not a servant, Emmy," Luffy said with a pout, "There was no reason for you to work in that house once we got that Kaya girl to agree to get us a ship."

"Yeah, well look how well that turned out," Nami snorted, "We have no ship. Emmy isn't working there and now we're pulling an allnighter to save a village without them actually knowing."

Emmy giggled. "I guess both Luffy and I failed on both our plans."

"Yeah," Zoro chuckled, "You and Luffy suck at planning."

The four of them shared a hearty laugh and Emmy leaned her head on Luffy's shoulder. "I'm sorry I worried you, Luffy. I was just trying to help."

"No need to apologize for something you volunteered to do," Luffy grinned, "Stand behind your decisions."

Emmy smiled. "You're right. I chose to do it. I exercised my own free will."

"To free will!" Luffy cheered, punching up his fist.

"To free will!" Zoro, Emmy, and Nami shouted, mimicking his pose.

"Er...I hate to bust up this party but you guys might want to move out of the way," Usopp called out from the top of the slope.

They turned around and saw that he had a very large barrel by his feet.

"Ooh. Whatcha got there? Gunpowder?" Luffy asked excitedly and then his eyes danced with a million lights, "OOH! MEAT?!"

"No and definitely no," Usopp replied and put his hands on his hips, "Just come up here and I'll show you."

The four of them got to their feet and they marched up towards Usopp. When they got to the top, he carefully rolled the barrel down to the middle of the slope. Then he uncorked the top and allowed its content to spill out, covering the surface of the slope.

"Alright. Perfect! Now they won't be able to climb up this slope, thanks to all this oil we've laid out here. We'll let them slip and slide down the slope before they can even think about fighting us," Usopp grinned.

Nami frowned as she stepped towards the slick surface. "Oil, huh? That's a good plan-"

"Isn't it?!" Usopp asked, putting a proud nose in the air.

"But we'll just need to be careful not to get caught in it," Nami said, "It'll be like diving straight into the lion's mouth if we did."

Luffy tentatively touched the tip of his sandal on the oil to see just how slick it was. "I'm amazed you can come up with something so sneaky," he marvelled.

"But of course! When it come to sneakiness and slingshots, I'm utterly confident!" Usopp said.

They all shared an amused smile until they all noticed at the same time, the faint glow of sunlight basking over each other's faces.

"It's dawn," Zoro said solemnly as he reached for his swords, "They'll be coming soon."

Emmy took a deep breath and smoothed out her apron. _This is it...I'm about to fight!_ _Any minute now…_

_Any minute now…_

_Any minute now…?_

The sun rose higher and higher and yet there were no signs of an incoming pirate ship, let alone a single pirate. Emmy frowned and turned to Usopp. "Are you sure you got the time wrong? Maybe you misheard?"

"How the hell would I mishear 'dawn'?!" Usopp snapped, "There's no other time that sounds like that."

"The sky's all bright now," Luffy whined as he crouched down on his knees, "What's the deal?"

"Do you think they overslept?" Zoro asked.

"No. They'll definitely show up. Lot's of 'em," Usopp said.

"But...there's not even a ship on the horizon," Emmy said, "In fact, there's not even a ship on this shore. Not even ours."

They all gasped, including Emmy, as soon as the words flew out of her mouth. They all turned to look at Usopp, realizing that there was another shore that looked identical to this one. It was the shore they had arrived on just a day earlier.

"AH! THE NORTH SHORE!" Usopp shrieked, "I completely forgot! You don't suppose-"

"This is the wrong shore!" Zoro shouted.

"I'm sorry! They had their meeting here so I had just assumed…" Usopp said as sweat started to pour over his face.

"No time to apologize now," Emmy rushed and started to run forward, "We have to head to the North Shore!"

"Right! If you run straight north from here, you'll get there in three minutes!" Usopp yelled, sprinting past Emmy, "This way!"

"Yosh! NORTH!" Luffy hollered, following his sister and the long nosed boy.

"AHHH! My treasure!" Nami screamed from behind but Emmy was too focused on keeping up with both Luffy and Usopp to look behind her. The boys were both the faster runners and the distance between them and her was only increasing.


	15. I am Exercising My Own Free Will.

After running for a 2 minutes, Emmy lost sight of both Usopp and Luffy but she knew all she had to do was go north. The only problem was, she wasn't sure where north actually was. She stopped for a minute to look around for clues. All she could see were fields and trees. It looked like she had ran past this place before but...she couldn't be sure. "Oh dear," she murmured and bit her lip. _Where's north?_

She heard the jingling of metal and she turned just in time to see Klahadore's sillhouette in the distance. She quickly ducked behind a nearby tree and watched him as he passed. He was carrying a long duffle bag next to him and whatever was in it, rattled with every step he took. Emmy gulped. _He must be heading to the north shore to join his pirate group...But I thought he was waiting for them to come to the mansion?_

Klahadore walked right past the tree that Emmy was hiding behind and she felt a flash of impatience and bloodlust.

Her eyes widened. _Oh no! Don't tell me he got restless and killed Kaya-sama already!_

She waited until he had cleared the area and she sprinted for the mansion. The north shore might be under attack but Kaya's life might already be in danger. Usopp and Luffy were probably already there at the north shore so it was up to Emmy to get to Kaya.

"Emmy-san!"

Emmy gasped and she whirled around to see Pepper, Onion, and Carrot chasing after her.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"We woke up early because we were worried that the pirates were going to attack us!" Onion shouted, "And we were worried that Kaya-sama is in danger."

"Right! Kaya-sama!" Emmy said and she rushed forward again, "Come with me and I'll explain everything later."

They arrived at the gate and found no guards there. Emmy looked at the kids, "Do you know of another way in?"

The kids nodded, "The Captain usually crawls through a hole he made in the bushes. We can try there!"

"Okay," Emmy said. She untied her apron and wove it behind the bars. She held onto both sides of the apron and used it to shimmy herself up, "You guys go. I'll go get Kaya-sama."

"Emmy-san!" they shouted as Emmy lost her footing and slid down the iron bars just a touch, "Are you sure you can do this?"

"It's not about if I can or not!" Emmy said with gritted teeth, "I _must_ do this. Now go! Find an opening and if you can't, just wait for me here!"

"Okay!" they said and the kids ran off.

She shakily made it to the top and took a deep breath before swinging her legs over the gate. Her arms were tired and the bottom of her shoes had barely any traction. She only managed to climb a foot of the way down before falling the rest of the way.

"Oof," she gasped as her skull bounced from the impact and her headband flew off her head. Her back suddenly felt like it was on fire and she cried out in surprise.

"Kyaaaa," she screamed and then flipped onto her stomach to look at the steps of the mansion.

Someone was hurt. They were close by and they were hurt. She grabbed her headband, pushed it firmly on her head and sprinted towards the door. The front door was left unlocked and she ran to the first room she could think of, which was the only other room she had been in, the drawing room.

"MERRY!" she heard Kaya's voice cry out just as she ran through the door.

A man with fuzzy white hair was lying face down in a pool of his own blood while Kaya, in her nightdress and a coat draped over her shoulders, was shaking him.

"Merry! Please don't die!"

"Kaya-sama!" Emmy gasped as she ran towards them and gently tried to pull Kaya away from the man, "Please step aside. Let me handle this. Don't dirty your ha-"

"Merry!" Kaya screamed, "Open your eyes, Merry!"

"He's alive," Emmy hurriedly rushed and that made Kaya look at her, "Trust me. He's alive but you have to let me take a look at him."

Kaya nodded and moved away from the body while Emmy inspected his wounds. It was just what she had felt before. He had three deep gashes on his back as if clawed by a wild animal. The man let out a faint moan and then he turned his head towards Kaya.

"M-M-Miss," he breathed, "You're okay."

"Merry!" Kaya shouted worriedly. "Who did this to you?

He tried to push himself up but he was too weak and he fell back down. His tears started to mix in with his blood. "Klahadore. He...attacked me."

Kaya gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. "No."

"He's actually a pirate," Merry continued as Emmy gingerly took off his blazer and began to rip it into long pieces. Then she took those pieces and pressed the cleanest ones over his wounds to stop the bleeding.

"He got close to you so that he could inherit your fortune," Merry cried.

"That's not true!" Kaya shouted.

"It is true!" Merry insisted.

"Then...what Usopp-san said yesterday was…" Kaya whispered.

"Yes," Merry said dejectedly, "Now that I think about it, he was trying his hardest to tell us the truth. And yet, not one of us were able to hear him out. We protected a real villain and drove off a real brave lad, who ran about with desperate resolve, all for the villagers' sake."

"Yes, Usopp-san is a very brave lad, isn't he?" Emmy said.

Kaya's eyes welled up and her tears slid down her unmoving face. She was too stunned to breathe and too overwrought with guilt to even react.

"Finally," Emmy said with relief and Kaya blinked at her in surprise as her tears continued to fall.

Emmy smiled at her. "I was wondering when you were going to cry. You have so much bottled up sadness within you that you were long overdue for a cry. You know, crying heals the heart. At least, that's what a really nice doctor once told me. So why don't you heal while I heal Merry-san?"

She returned to tend to the wounded man while she let Kaya sob by her side. The lady of the house cried over her butler's betrayal, her own betrayal the her dearest friend, Usopp, and even how terribly lonely and lost she felt without her parents. She let it all out.

Finally, after a few minutes, Emmy reached over and handed Kaya a handkerchief. "I apologize, Kaya-sama, but I have to cut short your time of healing. There's not much time right now. You must think calmly about what you need to do next."

"That's right," Merry breathed, "Your fortune is not worth losing your life. Go find Klahadore and just let him have it all."

"That's not what I meant," Emmy replied and both Merry and Kaya looked at her in surprise, "Just because you give Klahadore your fortune doesn't mean your lives and the village's will be spared."

"Then what did you mean?" Kaya asked softly.

Emmy turned and smiled at Kaya. "Would you really want to die without telling a certain brave lad that you believe in him? A brave lad who is at the north shore right now, trying to keep the village safe. To keep you safe?"

Kaya's eyes watered even more and she pressed Emmy's handkerchief to her face.

Emmy returned her attention to Merry and took out her needle, thread, and box of matches. "Go, Kaya-sama. The Usopp Pirates are waiting to escort you there. I'll be right behind you once I finish patching up Merry and calling for the doctor."

"Who...who are you?" Kaya asked.

Emmy smiled as she sterilized the needle. "I'm just a humble servant, exercising my own free will...but you can call me Emmy."

She took a deep breath. "Now Merry-san, I'm sorry but this is really going to hurt."

* * *

Emmy knew Kaya was in a really fragile state but she had no clue just how much until she easily caught up to her and the children not 5 minutes from running out of the mansion. "Kaya-sama," Emmy called out.

"Emmy-san!" the kids cried out in surprise.

"Keep heading for the north shore, Usopp Pirates!" Emmy commanded.

"Okay!" the children said with a salute.

"Emmy-san!" Kaya breathed out as they ran down the road together, "How is Merry?"

"He'll live. The doctor is on his way," Emmy said, "I also told him that it was Klahadore who wounded Merry. I hope that's alright."

Kaya nodded. Her fists clenched as she ran. "That's fine. The village will need to know what type of man he is. I cannot believe my father and I trusted him! I was such a fool."

"There's nothing foolish about giving someone a second chance at life," Emmy said sternly, "The fool is the one who wastes that chance."

Kaya stumbled in her step and Emmy quickly caught her by the waist. "Kaya-sama," Emmy said as she threw Kaya's arm around her for support, "Please lean on me if this is too much for you."

"Thank...thank you," Kaya breathed, "I'm sorry. I've been on bed rest since the day my parents have died. I suffer from-"

"Depression," Emmy finished and she smiled softly at the lady, "I can tell...but you feel better whenever Usopp-san is around, don't you?"

Kaya blinked. "How did you know?"

"When you think about him, your heart feels a bit lighter," Emmy said and returned to running after the children. She ignored the shocked look that came from Kaya and she smiled, "Kaya-sama, the doctor who taught me how to cry also told me that if a heart calls out loud enough, another heart will hear it. Usopp-san was the one who heard your heart, yes?"

Kaya didn't say anything but Emmy could feel her agreement. _Usopp-san,_ Emmy thought to herself as they ran, _Kaya-sama is hearing your heart right now too._

When they arrived near the north shore, they could hear weapons clashing and people shouting but the only person they could see was the silhouette of the butler near the top of the slope. Emmy had to grab Kaya by the arm arm to catch her before she ran ahead of her.

"No," Emmy said, "Kaya-sama, I must insist you stay by my side. If you're going to fight, fight with your words. You are a lady, after all."

Kaya gulped and she nodded as Emmy ran a bit closer to the slope, while the kids hid in the bushes. When they reached the edge of the slope, they could see Klahadore, with Usopp, Zoro, and a mess of other pirates, including the hypnotist, near the middle. Luffy and Nami were at the very end of the slope, down on the shores. Everyone's focus was in the center of the battle so no one noticed the two blondes arriving.

Emmy gave Kaya's hand a squeeze and the lady took in a deep breath.

"KLAHADORE! I ORDER YOU TO STOP!" Kaya cried out.

Her delicate voice still managed to echo down the slope and for a moment everyone lowered their weapons to stare up at the girl.

"OOOH! EMMY!" Luffy cheered.

"KAYA?!" Usopp gasped.

"Where the hell have you been, Emmy?!" Zoro and Nami demanded at the same time.

"Emmy! Why did you bring Kaya here?!" Usopp cried out, "It's dangerous!"

"But _you're_ fighting!" Kaya shouted, not giving time for Emmy to respond, "Even after I treated you so horribly and you've been hurt so much, you're still fighting for me! So…So I-"

"Kaya-sama?" Klahadore interrupted, calmly turning on his heels to face his employer, "What are you doing here?"

Kaya's face darkened but before she could say anything, Emmy stepped forward and put her arm out in front of the girl to protect her. "A butler has no right to question his lady's actions."

Then she turned her head to look at Kaya from the corner of her eye. "And the lady does not need to say anything she doesn't want to."

Kaya nodded and she glared at Klahadore. "Klahadore! Stop this! You won't get what you want from this. Merry has already told me everything. I won't give in to you so you might as well just leave now!"

Klahadore smirked, "Unwilling to part with your fortunes, Kaya-sama? I didn't think you were that type."

"That's not it!" Kaya shouted back, "It's just that even if I give it to you, there's no guarantee you won't spare the village. I would gladly give you everything I have if it meant keeping everyone safe!"

Klahadore adjusted his glasses and that's when Emmy noticed that he had long blades coming out of his gloves, like long cat claws. "I'm afraid you do have me there. You see...I not only want your fortune but what I also want is peace of mind."

"Peace…?" Kaya whispered.

"Yes. The trust and peace of mind I've cultivated from the village these last 3 years. I've gotten quite comfortable from it. Thus your fortune and the pirate attack on this village is essential. They need to believe that I am not to blame for your demise for my plan to work, which means some of them _will_ need to suffer and die by the hands of these pirates. You _will_ leave a will and die. These three things are absolute."

"Apologies," Emmy interrupted and she bowed her head at Klahadore, "But it seems you might have to come up with a new plan."

"What? What do you mean?"

"I was the one who saved Merry-san," Emmy said, "But I am not a doctor, you see, so I called him to come take a look at Merry-san while describing the situation. Merry-san also looked slightly hungry so I called in the baker as well. He, too, needed a full rundown of what was ailing Merry, in order to cater to Merry-san's hunger."

Klahadore's face got paler and paler as Emmy continued down her list, while Usopp's grin got bigger and bigger.

"I noticed that there were some broken pieces of furniture in the room so I called the carpenter as well. Of course, I couldn't make an order without telling him that you had broken it while trying to kill Merry-san in order to get Kaya-sama's money. Wouldn't you know it? He ran out of wood so he had to call his brother from the next island over to ship some over. And it just wouldn't be right if we didn't tell his brother the whole situation," she finished, "So let me see...there's the doctor, the baker, the carpenter, the carpenter's brother...OH! And the mayor of that island. She happened to be married to the carpenter's brother. Isn't that a funny coincidence?"

"Eh...What?" Luffy asked as he tilted his head to the side.

"No more peace of mind," his sister called out, already expecting him not to have followed her explanation, "The town and the next town over knows who Klahadore really is."

"Why you-" Klahadore snarled. The butler did not like to have his plans ruined one bit. The turmoil that Emmy and Kaya's appearance had caused seemed to light a deadly fire within the man. His rage burned hot and wild and it was melting his usually cool composure.

Emmy pushed Kaya back to create some distance between her and the lady. "Kaya-sama, run!" Emmy said, "I'll hold him off."

"Do you know how much effort I had to put in, in these last 3 years?!" Kuro thundered at Emmy, "The effort I had to put in to smile humbly for some snot-nosed girl for 1095 days?! I went against my nature and sucked up to her. Do you understand how humiliating that is? Do you understand how insulting that is to me, Captain Kuro?!"

Emmy's brows furrowed. "You could've served worse, you...you...ungrateful…"

"Bastard!" Luffy offered.

"Yes, that!" Emmy said with a nod, "...But I won't say that word."

"EMMY!" Usopp cried as the butler vanished right in front of her, only to appear right behind her. He was so close, she could feel his breath on her neck. He closed the blades around her head and she froze. She could smell the metal and feel the chill of his blades that were a breath away from slicing into her flesh.

_How did he get behind me so fast?_

"You've meddled enough," the butler said with a cold smile, "Now it's time I mark up your pretty little face."

_Thwack!_

Luffy's punch came sailing from the very bottom of the slope and right across Klahadore's jaw, knocking him back and freeing Emmy from his blade cage.

"The only face that'll get marked is yours!" Luffy declared as he snapped his arm back to him.

"AHHH! What was that?! What did he do?!' the pirate shouted as Emmy spun around to face Kaya.

"Kaya-sama! Run! You said what you needed to say and now let my nakama finish the fight!" Emmy said and then she called out to the bushes, "Usopp Pirates!"

"HAI!" they shouted as they launched out of their hiding spots

"YOU BROUGHT THE KIDS TOO?!" Usopp shrieked, "Just run, you idiots! Get out of here!"

"We're going to fight too!" the kids shouted, "We are and always will be part of the Usopp Pirates that follow the brave warrior of the sea, Captain Usopp!"

"Brave warrior," Klahadore scoffed as he slowly got up to a seated position.

"You idiots! Get out of here now!" Usopp yelled frantically to the kids. He was desperate to find a reason, any reason to get them out of harm's way while he still can, "Run and protect Kaya-sama. That's your job as the Usopp Pirates! If you've ever taken me seriously as your Captain, you'll listen to me now!"

"Listen to your captain!" Emmy shouted and the kids gulped. They looked at each other and nodded before grabbing Kaya by the hand and running inland towards the wooded area of the island.

"YES! CAPTAIN!" they screamed.

"Jango!" Klahadore ordered as he got to his feet, "I'll handle these brats. You take care of Kaya-sama and those three little ants. They're an eyesore."

The hypnotist looked up from his spot and he nodded. "I'm on it."

He started to make his way up the slope but then Zoro swung out his sword to stop him from moving any further. "Sorry," the swordsman said, "I cannot allow you to move any further."

The hypnotist snarled. "BUTCHIE!"

A large, catlike pirate from the sidelines began to charge at Zoro, who had no choice but to jump out of the way to avoid getting crushed by his heavy form. The hypnotist ambled past the swordsman and up the slope towards Klahadore and Emmy.

Emmy gulped and studied the situation. Usopp was barely standing. Nami had disappeared during the scuffle and Luffy couldn't take on both Jango and Klahadore at the same time. She nervously smoothed out her apron as Emmy tried to think of her next move. _I need to take on the hypnotist. It's the only way but how? How can I-_

She stopped when her right hand hit a bump in her apron. She stuffed her hand into her pocket and felt the deck of cards. She had forgotten that she had picked it up from the children. Her eyes widened. _I know what I can do!_

"Your opponent is me!" she called out to the hypnotist as she rushed towards him, "Try and hypnotize me if you can!"

"What?! What are you doing, Emmy?!" Zoro shouted.

"Silly girl," Klahadore scoffed, "Taking Jango head on…"

"Oh, a challenge?" the hypnotist asked coolly and he swiftly took out his chakram pendant from under his coat. He held it out, letting it dangle beneath his palms, "Very well. You will attack your friends at the count of 'one, two, Jango!' Ready? One...Two…"

_Thwack!_

"AHHHHH!" Jango cried as a corner of a 2 of Hearts sliced through the string that held the chakram and embedded the card into his chest. It wasn't a deep cut but it still stung.

_Ting!_

Emmy dove just in time and caught the chakram as she held up four more cards in her other hand. She flung the cards up at his face and he had to quickly fall back in order to avoid getting his face cut up. Emmy stuck her tongue out at Jango before turning on her heels and running back up the slope.

"No ring, no power!" she taunted, "So come catch me if you can!"

"Don't think you can just run away! That's not my only ring!" Jango yelled as he whipped out another chakram. He held it to the side, like a frisbee, and flung it right at Emmy's neck.

"EMMY! Watch out!" Zoro shouted.

"Lead Star!"

_Ping!_

The chakram was hit at an angle by Usopp's pachinko ball. The trajectory was changed and it sailed towards the butler's head instead.

"AH! Watch out, Captain Kuro!" Jango shouted as the butler swiftly moved out of the way, allowing the chakram to fly off somewhere into the distance and giving Emmy an opening to run past him and towards town.

Emmy shot a smile over her shoulder at the sniper before running towards the fields that she came from with the chakram clutched tightly to her chest. "Thank you, Usopp-san!"

"GO, Emmy!" Luffy cheered from behind, "Food! Fight! Feel!"


	16. I am a Little Liar.

Instead of heading towards empty fields or the town, Emmy dashed straight into the forest that surrounded the island. Jango was hot on her heels and had managed to pick up the chakram that he had accidentally sent flying towards Captain Kuro.

She wove around the tree trunks, making sure he could not get a clear shot of throwing his blade at her again. The hypnotist was onto her, though, and he swung his chakram around him, cutting cleanly through the surrounding trees.

Emmy gasped and hurriedly scrambled out of the way to avoid the falling trees. Some of the longer branches scraped across her body as they crashed to the ground, cutting through her skin and clothes, but the pain did not make Emmy hesitate in the slightest and she just kept running while she figured out what to do next.

"Stop running, you stupid brat!"

"Stop chasing me, you stupid hypnotist!" Emmy replied as she turned just briefly to throw more cards in his face to keep the distance between the two.

"AH! Stop that!" He leapt to the side, darting behind a severed tree trunk. When he poked his head out and got back on the trail, Emmy was nowhere to be found.

"Eh? Where did you go?"

Emmy held her breath as much as she could despite her desire to pant and gasp for air. She hid along a high branch in a still standing tree. Living with Luffy in a forest covered mountains for 2 years had it's merits. The art of tree climbing was one of them. How to hide from a dangerous predator was another.

She watched the hypnotist through the leaves. He had his chakram out and he was looking angrily around him. "Where are you, you little runt?!" he shouted, "Don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're a brat. I'll do more than put you to sleep."

Emmy's eyes widened. _Sleep! That's it!_

She slowly removed her headband and tucked it in her apron pocket. From the corner of her eyes, she saw the cuts and scrapes along her hands and arms begin to close but she kept her attention focused on Jango as she drew out another hand of cards.

_Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!_

She sent the cards flying through the leaves and branches towards the hypnotist. They landed by his feet and missing him by just a few inches. He smiled victoriously over in her direction. "There, huh?"

_Shing!_

He threw out his chakram and cut through the tree she was standing on as well as the ones behind her. The tree pitched forward and hurriedly, Emmy ran along the branch towards the tip of the tree. Before the entire tree crashed to the ground, she kicked herself off and into the air. She sailed over Jango and landed right behind him.

"What?" he gasped.

"Feel Feel Repose!" Emmy shouted as she put her hand to the back of his head.

_ZZZZZZZ!_

Jango fell into a deep sleep while Emmy gave a nod of satisfaction. "I'm sorry, Jango-san," she said, although not feeling apologetic in the slightest, "I should've mentioned I'm sort of a hypnotist myself."

She reached into her pocket to grab her headband and her fingers brushed up against the deck of cards again. She pulled both of them out and looked contemplatively at them. She put her headband back on her head and took the top card from the deck. It was an 8 of clubs.

She held it up between her index and middle finger before flipping it between her other fingers, like a coin. Then she held it still when it returned to her index and middle finger, studying as if seeing it for the first time.

_Who'd have thought a trick I learned to amuse Delly-sama would come in handy?_

She sighed and lowered her hand with the card still in between her fingers. Then, with a swift flick of her wrist, she sent it flying towards a nearby tree trunk.

_Thwack!_

The corner of the card lodged right into the wood. Although, it had hit slightly off center and not where Emmy had intended it to land. Still, a hit was a hit.

_Zoro was right...If used correctly, anything can be made into a weapon…_

Emmy walked towards the tree and returned the card back into the deck. She frowned at the small cut within the wood. _If I really were to use this as a weapon...I'm going to need practice. I want to be able to cut through an entire tree…Like how Jango-san did it with his chakram..._

She dropped the deck of cards back into her apron pocket and gave it a little pat as she walked back towards the north shore. She decided to leave Jango sleeping there. After all, she was able to read his intentions and despite feeling angered and annoyed with her, he actually didn't have any malice in him. There was also no ounce of loyalty in him either. Just fear. It was a similar fear she had felt with Morgan and his men.

 _If I don't fight for my freedom, I can easily get caught by this type of fear..._ Emmy thought with a gulp. She then smiled a little when she felt the warmth of the sun on her skin. _That's right...Luffy would never be that type of captain. He would never let that happen._

With that, she picked up the pace and started to run back to her brother. By the time, she reached the slope, the battle was long over. The invading pirate ship was already sailing away as fast as it could, leaving Usopp, Luffy, Zoro, and Nami resting on the shores, just at the base of the slope.

"Ooh, Emmy!" Luffy cried as soon as she came down and sat beside him. Despite his energetic voice, he made no effort to sit up from his eagle spread position on the ground, "You look like you kicked butt!"

Emmy nodded. "I tried."

"Good thinking using those cards," Zoro said with a smirk, "You gave him a nasty cut."

"Shishishishi," Luffy laughed, "How come you never told me you could do that, Emmy? I thought I knew everything about you."

Emmy bit her lip. "I'm sorry, Luffy. I didn't mean to hide it from you. It's just that we never played cards so...it never came up."

"Say, Luffy...What were you so mad about earlier?" Nami interrupted, she had been studying the boy in the straw hat quietly the entire time. Something had happened while Emmy was gone that puzzled the navigator.

"Luffy, you got mad?" Emmy asked.

"Those pirates pissed me off. I hate them...They have the wrong mentality," Luffy said simply, "That's not how friends should act."

"Of course not but you have a romanticised expectation of pirates. They aren't as lovely as you think they are," Nami stated, as she lifted Luffy's hat off his head and twirled it around her fingers, "I'd say Captain Kuro's mentality is more standard than yours."

Luffy looked at Nami, then at the others. Then he grinned. "I'm hungry."

"Of course you are," Nami huffed and slammed his hat back over his face. Emmy glanced over at her and noticed that the navigator had a large, round sack resting next to her.

"We'll eat after we sleep, Luffy. We need to rest," Emmy said.

"I'll eat _while_ I sleep," Luffy replied.

Emmy laughed. "I'll believe it when I see it."

Usopp let out a sigh. "I wish you didn't tell the village about what happened, Emmy," he said, "Now they all got worried over nothing."

"I didn't," Emmy replied and she smiled down at Luffy while she felt 3 pairs of eyes gaping at her, "I lied to him just in case he ever thought to come back to this island or try it with any others."

"So you...didn't call all those people?!" Usopp asked.

"Just the doctor. Merry-san's life was at stake after all," Emmy stated, "And he's sworn to doctor patient confidentiality so the secret is still safe. After all, it's like you said, Usopp-san. There's no point in getting the village worried over nothing."

"Who knew you had a little liar in you, Emmy?" Zoro said with a smirk.

Emmy giggled and she looked over at Usopp. "I learned from the best."

"Ah, we should go find the kids and Kaya and let them know everything is okay now!" Usopp said as he shakily got to his feet.

"We'll let you handle that," Zoro said with a hard smack on Usopp's back, "It's your village and your pirate group after all."

"KYAHHHH! That hurts. That Kuro guy cut me there, you know?!" Usopp seethed but then he grinned, "I have to say thank you to you all, though. I wouldn't have been able to protect the village without you guys."

"What are you talking about?" Zoro scoffed, "If you hadn't done anything, I would've done nothing."

"Me too," Luffy added.

"What's done is done. No need to think about what could've been," Emmy said with a smile.

"Who cares about all that?" Nami grinned as she pulled her cloth sack into her lap, "I got me some treasure!"

Usopp laughed and then he stared off into the sea. "This incident has helped me finally come to a decision…"

"Huh?" Luffy asked.

Usopp dusted off his hands and smiled down at the rubber boy. "Nothing to do with you guys. I'll go find Kaya and them now."

With that, Usopp left them sitting on the slope. He ran with his back turned to them so he didn't see that all four of them had giant, knowing smiles on their faces.

"Liar," Emmy said.

"Of course it concerns us," Zoro added.

"Shishishishi. Yay! Another crew member!" Luffy cheered.

"Hold it! You didn't count me in there, did you?" Nami asked.

* * *

_\- 2 Days Later -_

"Really, Kaya-sama?!" Emmy gasped as they stood along the south shore.

It was their last day of rest on the island and Kaya and Merry had presented them with a ship to call their own as a thank you for saving their lives and the village.

"Can we really have this?!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Yes, please use it!" Kaya said.

"It's a slightly older model but I personally designed it myself," Merry said with a smile.

"You don't say," Zoro muttered under his breath. He eyed the man's sheep-like appearance and the sheep's head that was carved as the figurehead on the ship. His comment went unheard by the kind butler but earned the swordsman a stomp on the foot from Emmy.

"Be nice," she mouthed to him when he glared down at her.

The swordsman rolled his eyes but he gave an apprecitative nod to the butler and Kaya. "This is very nice of you."

"It's a carvel-make caravel, with lateen sails and a central stern rudder," Merry explained proudly, "This is...the Going Merry!"

"What a good ship!" Luffy cheered as he grabbed Emmy by the hand and they raced back and forth to see the ship from all angles, "Ah! I see a cannon. A cannon, Emmy!"

"You can explain all the ship stuff to me," Nami said with a grin to the butler as they watched the pair.

Emmy stopped and pulled her hand out of Luffy's when they returned to the front of the ship. She bowed to the figurehead. "Going Merry-san, please take care of us from now on."

"Shishishishi," Luffy laughed as he followed his sister's lead, albeit his posture was much more loose, "Please take care of us."

He then straightened up and ran towards Kaya. "This is amazing!"

"I hope it's to your liking, Luffy-san. We've loaded it with everything you might need on a voyage," Kaya said with a smile.

"Thank you!" Luffy said with utmost sincerity, "It leaves nothing to beat tired!"

Emmy giggled. "He means, it leaves nothing to be desired."

"Yep, that!" Luffy said with a nod.

"Idiot," Zoro scoffed.

"AHHHHHH! STOP THIS THING!"

They turned to look up at the slope just in time to see Usopp come rolling down it with a large bag strapped to his back. It was the size of a small house and Emmy guessed that Usopp actually did pack his whole house in there.

"What is he doing?" Zoro murmured and rolled his eyes. "Let's stop him before he destroys our new ship."

"Yosh," Luffy said as both he and Zoro raised a leg.

_Thwack!_

They both stopped the rolling ball of random with a kick to Usopp's face. "Th...thank you?" Usopp grunted from the base of their shoes.

"Our pleasure," Luffy and Zoro said in unison.

Emmy and Nami laughed at the boys' actions. "Luffy," Emmy said, "Are you ready to go aboard?"

"Me?" Luffy asked.

Emmy nodded. "It's only right that the first person to step foot on the Going Merry-san is her captain."

"Okay," Luffy said with a shrug as he made his way to the rope ladder that hung from the side of the ship, "But you have to go next."

"Me? Why me?" Emmy asked.

"Because you're the first mate!" Luffy said with happiness, "And then Zoro's next because he's the swordsman and then Nami is next because-"

"Okay. Okay. Okay. We get it. We all have titles," Nami sighed and then a thought struck her, "Wait! Why am I behind Zoro? A navigator is much more important than a swordsman!"

"Excuse me?!" Zoro grunted as Luffy jumped on board.

"WOOOW! Check out the deck!" he yelled, "Come up! All of you!"

He didn't even give Emmy a chance to even touch the rope ladder. His hand shot down and grabbed her by the waist and he hauled her up before she could even blink. Her eyes widened at the sight of the deck. It wasn't very big but it still felt perfect to Emmy. "This is...ours…" she whispered.

"Shishishishi, our very own ship!" Luffy cheered as Zoro and Nami soon joined them, "The Going Merry!"

"Not bad," Zoro said as he leaned back against the railing, "It's quite comfortable."

Nami immediately went running to the lower decks. "I'm going to find my room."

"Your room?" Emmy asked, "We get our own rooms?"

Nami shook her head. "Merry said he made a woman's bedroom with Kaya in mind so obviously that would be my room."

"Oy. You're sharing it with Emmy," Zoro grunted.

"No, I'm not," Nami shot back, "Or did you not notice that Emmy always has to sleep next to Luffy?'

Zoro blinked and he looked over at Emmy. "Really? It has to be Luffy? I thought you just couldn't sleep by yourself."

Nami put a palm to her face. "You really didn't notice?! You've spent the most time with them. Even at the inn, Emmy specifically asked to switch with you so she could sleep next to Luffy."

Zoro scratched his head. "I thought that was because she wanted to sleep closest to the bathroom."

"Idiots," Nami muttered behind her hand, "You're all idiots."

"I hope you don't mind me sharing a room with you for the long run, Zoro," Emmy said with an apologetic smile.

"No, it's fine," Zoro sighed, "I'm more worried you'll mind sharing a room with me, Luffy, and...Eh? Where's Usopp?"

They all went over to the railing and leaned over to spot Usopp chatting with Kaya on the sand. He locked eyes with Luffy and he gave a little wave.

"You guys take care too! Let's meet again sometime!" he called out.

"How come?" Luffy asked.

"H-H-How come?!" Usopp sputtered and he let out a sigh of defeat, "Man, you're antisocial."

He put his hands on his hips. "I'm gonna be a pirate too so we'll meet on the high seas eventually!"

"What are you talking about?" Zoro asked incredulously as he pointed a finger down at the deck he was standing on, "Get on already."

"Eh?!" Usopp gasped.

"We're friends now, aren't we?" Luffy asked.

It took about twenty seconds for the news to sink into Usopp and it only took three seconds after that for him to ask to be the captain.

"Don't be dumb! _I'm_ the captain!" Luffy shouted back as Nami, Emmy, and Zoro laughed.

Usopp started to gather all his stuff and make his way towards the ship. As he did so, Emmy climbed down the rope ladder and walked towards Kaya. Emmy bowed her head to the lady and smiled at her while Usopp tried desperately to climb up the ship with his large backpack.

"Kaya-sama," Emmy said, "We'll be taking our leave now."

Kaya sighed and she folded her hands in front of her. "Yes. Please have a safe trip."

Emmy tilted her head and she studied the girl for a minute. "You're sad. You don't want Usopp-san to go with us?" she asked.

Kaya's eyes widened and Emmy felt a pang of guilt. The girl in the apron smiled at the lady. "Would you like to come with us too?"

"Oh, no! I couldn't possibly!" Kaya gasped, "I'm not a brave warrior and I would only get in your way."

"I'm not a brave warrior either," Emmy replied, "Yet Luffy still asked me to come with him. If you tell Usopp-san you don't want to part from him, then-"

"No," Kaya said and she smiled at Emmy, "There are things I have to do here in this village. I can't leave and I can't ask Usopp-san to stay."

There was a sadness and ache in Kaya's heart that Emmy had never felt before and she blinked curiously at the girl. It was a new level of sadness that Emmy couldn't quite place. Still, the empath knew when to respect someone's wishes and she bowed her head to the lady. "Very well. I will take look after Usopp-san not only as his nakama but also on your behalf, Kaya-sama."

A little relief came to Kaya and she nodded back at the girl in the apron. "Thank you."

Emmy then turned and bowed to Merry. "Thank you, Merry-san. I'll look after the Going Merry on your behalf as well."

The butler smiled warmly at the girl. "If you ever need to find employment again, Emmy-chan, our doors will always be open to you."

"You are very kind," Emmy said and then she returned to her ship to find that everyone had already had the sails ready and were only waiting for her to raise the anchor.

* * *

Emmy went straight to work as soon as they pulled out of the port. She did a full tour of the facilities and soon she was standing on the deck with her apron tied firmly around her waist and a mop in her hand. "Okay," she said with a firm nod, "Time to clean."

She blinked and realize that not everyone shared in her excitement. Zoro was napping along the railing, Nami was studying a stack of maps, Usopp was busy hammering something together, and Luffy was...Actually, Emmy wasn't sure what he was doing. He sat with his back towards her and he had a large black fabric laid out on his feet.

"Luffy? What are you-" Emmy started to say as she took a step towards him.

"I FINISHED!" Luffy cheered, which startled everyone. He leapt to his feet and held out the fabric for all to see. "Look! A pirate flag!"

They all blinked at the weird doodle that Luffy had painted onto the flag. It was a sloppily made Jolly Roger with a slanted straw hat painted across the top of its head. The paint was still wet and dripped down the black fabric, giving off the impression that the skull was melting.

"Isn't it great?" Luffy asked excitedly, "Now that Usopp's joined and we have five people, we need to have our own mark!"

" _That's_ our mark?" Zoro asked incredulously, "A pirate mark is a symbol of death. A symbol of fear!"

"I do sense fear, though…," Nami muttered, "Fear of Luffy's talent."

Emmy frowned and tilted her head to the side. "It looks a bit better if you angle your head a bit and squint your eyes."

"Tsk tsk tsk," Usopp clucked, "I wish you would've told _me_ first. I'm quite the gifted artist, you know!"

He stood up and raised what he had been working on. It was a large circular target set on a tripod with a red and white bullseye painted perfectly at it's center.

"WHOAH! What's that for?!" Luffy cried.

"This," Usopp said proudly, "Is for Emmy to practice her card throwing!"

"Eh?!" Emmy gasped in surprise, "For me? Why?"

Usopp smiled. "Kaya told me that you gave her quite the pep talk and that she realized her dream of becoming a doctor because of you. So...this is my way of thanking you."

Emmy felt a blush come to her cheeks and she did what came naturally to her. She bowed so low that her head was at her knees. "Thank you. I am truly, truly grateful for your present."

"Amazing," Nami said as she took a closer look at the bullseye, "You painted perfect circles too!"

"Of course," Usopp said, keeping his nose in the air, "I've drawn graffiti on walls for 50 years straight. I'm pretty talented when it comes to painting."

"What? 50 years?!" Luffy cried.

Emmy straightened up and she laughed at her brother's gullible nature.

"That means he's an old man now," Zoro quipped.

"Must have 5-6 grandkids at least," Nami added.

"He has great skin for someone his age," Emmy said.

"He really does!" Luffy exclaimed, oblivious to the joke.

"Oy!" Usopp shouted, "That's not the point I was making!"

"Just hurry up and fix the mark," Zoro said as he tore the fabric out of Luffy's hands and tossed it to Usopp.

The sniper caught the flag and he swiftly got to work. It only took a few minutes and he took a step back to show them his amazing artwork. "Behold my masterpiece! Tadah!"

His Jolly Roger, while very well drawn with neat lines and detailed coloring, did not resemble Luffy's original one at all. Instead, it had a long nose, yellow bandana, and even a green slingshot resting in the back.

Luffy frowned. "Who told you to make _your_ flag?" he said as he and Zoro gave Usopp a hard knock on the head.

"Back to the drawing board," Usopp sighed as he sank back down to the floor while two lumps rose in his head.

This time, it took a bit longer and when he held it up, a smile spread on everyone's faces.

"How's this?" Usopp asked with a confident nose in the air.

"Wow, that's pretty good!" Nami marvelled.

"You even caught Luffy's smile," Emmy said as she stared at the Jolly Roger that bared its grinning teeth with Luffy's straw hat resting on its perfectly round head.

"Alright! Usopp! Draw one on the sail too!" Luffy shouted.

"Right!" Usopp said as he scrambled up the ratlines towards the sail with paint and bucket in hand.

"Emmy! Time to celebrate!" Luffy cried and Emmy smiled.

"Celebrate?" Nami and Zoro asked as they watched the blonde scurry into the kitchen.

She returned to the deck about the same time that Usopp had finished painting the sails and she had with her a tray filled with 5 pints of ale and a piping hot meat pie.

"Yosh! Let's officially celebrate and welcome Usopp and the Going Merry to our crew!" Luffy cheered as he grabbed a pint.

"Wait! How come I didn't get a celebration when I joined?" Zoro asked, even though he took a pint himself.

"I didn't either," Emmy pointed out to Luffy.

"Nor me," Nami said but then quickly caught herself, "But I'm just teaming up with you guys so it's not really a big deal."

"Fine," Luffy said with a grin and waited for everyone to grab a drink, "This is the official celebration of our pirate crew and the addition of our new ship, the Going Merry! CHEERS!"

"CHEERS!" his nakama shouted in unison as they clinked their cups.


	17. I am the First Mate.

"Usopp, please watch your step. That part can be a little slippery."

"Zoro, please don't sleep out here. You'll catch a cold."

"Luffy, your snack is almost ready. I'll wake you up when it's ready but, please, don't go into the kitchen and whatever you do, do NOT touch the oven!"

"Nami-san, it's okay. Leave it! I can get that."

It was a quiet day out at sea for the pirate group and the only person who seemed to be running around was the girl with a mop in her hand and apron tied around her waist. Emmy was swabbing the deck while keeping a watchful eye on the time. She had some meat pies baking in the oven and having the ship catch fire in the middle of the sea would just be a disaster. Emmy smiled as she worked. After all, she was finally contributing a substantial part to the crew.

Nami set down her empty glass of lemonade at her side and she frowned at Emmy from the top step of the stairs. "Are you sure?" the navigator asked, "I can definitely wash the glass myself."

"No," Emmy rushed, "Please. Let me. I am the First Mate and keeping the ship in peak condition is my duty. I don't want to take you away from navigating the ship."

"I'm not _that_ busy," Nami said but she let the girl have her way. She leaned back on her elbows and crossed her knees while looking up at the clouds, "But okay."

Usopp scratched the tip of his nose and he pointed his wooden sword out to the heavens. "Yosh! Then while you work, let me tell you the story of how I bravely fought-Whaaaa!'

His foot slipped on the wet floorboard and his leg slid straight forward. His other leg was still firmly in place and that is how Usopp found himself doing a perfect split for the first time in his life.

"YOOOOWWWW!" Usopp shrieked in pain as both Luffy and Zoro winced from their napping spots, one on the figurehead and the other against the railing respectively.

"Usopp!" Emmy cried, dropping her mop, and rushing over to help the fallen nakama, "I'm so sorry. I did tell you that part was slippery though."

"Naw, it's okay! Not...your fault," Usopp wheezed in a high and squeaky voice as he fell to his side, his legs trembling and slowly closing back together.

"Can you still call yourself a brave warrior?" Zoro asked with an amused grin while Nami laughed from her seat, "Or is it 'warrior-ess' now?"

"Still there...My family jewels...still there," Usopp gasped.

"Shishishishi," Luffy laughed as he sat up into a cross legged position, "See? This is why I don't run around when Emmy is mopping."

"This is not something laugh about!" Usopp hissed, "This really hurts!"

"Oh no," Emmy said and she chewed on her lip, "The security of the crew is the First Mate's responsibility too...Usopp...let me make this up to you. What is your favorite food? I can try making it."

"I...like fish…" Usopp replied faintly.

"Okay," Emmy said and she put her hands on her hips. She looked over at Nami, "Where can we get fish?"

Nami looked incredulously at the girl. "Don't we have it in the fridge?"

"All Kaya-sama had given us were prepared meats and vegetables." Emmy stiffened at her own words and dashed towards the kitchen. "Ah! Meat! The meat pies!"

"OOH! MEAT! FOOD!" Luffy cheered as he hopped off his seat and ran after his sister. As soon as his foot connected with the floor, however, the rubber boy was sent skidding across the deck, "Watch out! Zoro!"

"Gah!" Zoro grunted when Luffy collided into his side, sending the both of them rolling towards the stern of the ship.

"Ow ow ow ow ow ow," Luffy muttered while the swordsman tried to disentangle his limbs from the captain's.

"Whew! Made it just in time! The pies are cooked perfectly!" Emmy rejoiced as she came out of the galley holding two steaming pies from her oven-mitted hands. She looked down at the deck below and batted her blue eyes curiously at her brother and the swordsman, "What are you two doing down there?"

Nami clutched her stomach and doubled over in laughter. She pounded the sides of the steps with one hand. "You guys...are ridiculous!" she squeaked in between laughs.

Next to her, the maps that she was rifling through fluttered in the wind and the top sheet came sailing up into the sky.

"Oh no!" Nami cried, "Quick! Someone get that!"

"I got it!" Luffy yelled.

He leapt to his feet and flung a hand out towards the paper, almost cold clocking Zoro in the process when he drew his arm back to ready the throw.

"Watch it!" Zoro snapped.

Luffy snatched the paper by the corner and brought it down to his face, "What's this? The Grand Line?"

"Even better!" Nami shouted, walking carefully on the slippery floors towards the captain. She took the paper out of his hands and smiled excitedly down at it, "It's the map to the legendary Treasure Island!"

"Wooo!" Luffy cheered.

Zoro grunted and slowly got up to his feet. "If it's legendary, how come I've never heard of it?"

Nami scoffed. "It's legendary amongst us treasure hunters. I'm not surprised a meathead like you would not understand."

"Are we going there?" Luffy asked excitedly while he stuffed a whole meat pie into his mouth.

"Ah! Luffy! Those are for all five of us to eat!"" Emmy cried, holding back the remaining meat pie so her brother can't get to it. Then she let out a dejected sigh, "We need to get a cook fast."

"Eh? But you can cook, Emmy," Luffy said.

"I can but I don't know much about cooking at sea," Emmy replied, "I'm trying to ration what we have in the pantry, since I don't know how long we'll be out at sea and the only thing I can cook is roasted meats, stews, curries, and meat pies."

"So?! That's enough for me!" Luffy cheered.

_Thwack!_

A hard punch from Nami's fist sent Luffy's chin knocking right into the floorboards. "Idiot," Nami seethed, "That's not enough to survive out at sea. Emmy is right we need a cook or else we'll all die from malnutrition before we see the Grand Line...but first..."

"First?" Emmy asked.

Nami's eyes twinkled and she looked down at her map. "We need to get the treasure!"

"How is treasure more important than our lives?!" Usopp demanded.

"Yeah! How is treasure more important than meat?" Luffy chimed in.

"Not my point!" the long nose snapped.

* * *

The Going Merry sailed towards the legendary Treasure Island, despite being informed by their navigator that legend states those who go near the island would incur god's wrath. This immediately sent Usopp into a tizzy and his worries were only increased when they were caught in a heavy thunderstorm just as the island came into sight.

"Ahhhh! Were the rumors really true?!" Usopp shrieked as he hung tight to the railings, "Is this god's wrath?!"

"Keep going! To Treasure Island!" Luffy shouted.

"Yes, Captain!" Emmy and Zoro replied, each grabbing onto a rope and steadying the sails, while Nami stood by the steering wheel.

The island was tiny and was taller than it was wide. Emmy guessed that they could cross it with just a half day of walking. It was covered in lush trees so they couldn't see beyond the edge of the island. Thunder lit the skies and the rain poured heavily down but the weather eased up when the Going Merry touched upon the island's shores.

"I'll stay behind," Emmy said as she handed Usopp the packed lunch for the four of them and a thermos of hot coffee to carry in his large bag, "Don't want anyone stealing our ship while we're not looking."

"I'll stay behind too!" Usopp volunteered, shooting his hand into the arm.

"Idiot, we only need one person to watch the ship," Zoro said and grabbed Usopp by the nose, "And who's going to carry the food if not you?"

"But...but...but…" Usopp whimpered.

"Yosh! Emmy, we'll leave Merry to you!" Luffy cheered.

Emmy bowed her head as she watched them disembark the ship. "Please go on ahead."

When they were all gone, Emmy picked back up her mop and continued her cleaning duties. For good measure, she took off her headband, just in case somebody decided to sneak onto the ship. She felt the beacon of happiness that was her brother move further and further from her range until finally he disappeared into the distance along with Zoro's sense of duty, Usopp's anxiety, and…

Emmy laughed. Nami's burning desire for treasure overpowered even Usopp's intense fear.

 _We're a strange group, aren't we, Merry-san?,_ Emmy thought with a smile as she worked, _I don't think we'll ever have a boring day at sea as long as we're all together._

She then stood back and studied her work. _How's that, Merry-san? Do you feel clean? Is there anything I missed?_

She paused for a moment, as if waiting for answer, and then nodded with satisfaction. "Okay. Now onwards to the bathroom," she said and took the mop with her.

The bathroom was a small room that had a pedestal sink, a toilet, and a shower hanging over a bathtub that was only big enough to sit in. Emmy clucked her tongue at the mound of wet towels left on the floor and the mirror still wet from the steam.

"Just as I thought," Emmy said out loud as she started to hang the towels onto the drying hooks, but not before giving a thorough wipe down of the bathroom with them. Then she picked up a rubber wiper to push the mirror's condensation down the drain. _There you go, Merry-san. You're all dry now._

Then she moved into the storage room to check their contents, which was mostly all the treasure that Nami had brought in on her boat, crates of preserved food, a couple crates of cannon balls, and the large bag of whatever it was that Usopp had taken with him. Emmy took a rag out of her apron and started to dust. She had already dusted it the day before but she didn't want to see even a speck in here.

 _Merry-san,_ Emmy thought as she worked, _Please rely on me. I'll keep you clean and comfortable. You are an important nakama too. Maybe the most important. Without you, we definitely cannot get to the Grand Line. Also, you have our beautiful mark on your sails. When people meet us, they'll see you first...but don't worry. Like I said, just leave everything to me. When they see you, the first thing they're going to say is "The Going Merry is such a lovely ship. It must be carrying such lovely people!"._

Suddenly, she felt Luffy's beaming presence coming back towards her at full speed. She smiled as she felt his heart pounding with excitement. By the time he was back at the shore, she was already on deck waiting for him with her headband back on her head. Her eyes widened when she saw that he was riding on the back of a giant animal that looked like a turtle but had black and white markings on it like a cow. The others were with him too, along with a strange man.

His face was old and tanned with an unruly black beard growing around his rounded face but Emmy couldn't see his body because it was stuck in a small chest with only his feet and hands poking out. He had a large green afro that resembled more of a nicely trimmed boxwood plant than actual hair.

Scampering around the turtle's feet were other animals of different shapes and sizes. They were the oddest hybrid of animals Emmy had ever seen. There was a pig with a lion's mane, a fox with a rooster crown and wattle, a bat but with the body of a panda, a small bear but with markings of a giraffe, and even a gorilla with a face of a hippo.

"OYYYYY! EMMY! Stop cleaning!" Luffy shouted from his steed, "Come on! We're going to get his treasure back!"

"Aren't you missing a bunch of information?!" Usopp sputtered from behind the captain.

"You can leave the ship, Emmy!" Nami called out, "It's safe here. There's no one else here besides Gaimon and his animal friends."

"Okay!" Emmy said and she climbed down the rope ladder. When her feet touched the floor, she took a couple of steps back and bowed to the ship.

_I am off, Merry-san, but I'll be back soon._

When she straightened herself up, her eyes locked with the ones of the figurehead and even though she knew it was impossible, she felt as if the painted smile on Merry-san got a little bigger.

"Emmy! What are you doing?!" Luffy shouted impatiently from the turtle. He shot his hands forward and grabbed Emmy by the waist. Before she could even straighten up, she found herself flinging backwards towards her brother, "Ikuzooooo!"

"Kyaaa!" Emmy gasped in surprise right before slamming back first into Luffy's chest.

"Shishishishi," Luffy laughed as he kept her on his lap, "Onward to the treasure!"

Emmy turned at the waist so she could bow to the man in the box. "Hello. My name is Monkey D. Emmy. I am Luffy's sister."

"Oh nice to meet you. I'm Gaimon," the man replied with a smile, revealing that he was missing the tooth just right of his two front teeth. "So nice to meet such energetic pirates."

"Excuse me…" Emmy said as she eyed the tanned skin and green hair on Gaimon before turning to another person who also was tan with green hair, "Zoro, are you and Gaimon-san related in some way?"

Zoro almost fell off the shell and he had to slam his arms out to the side to steady himself. "Wh-wh-what the hell, Emmy?! Just because the guy has green hair?!"

Luffy, Nami, and Usopp burst into laughter while Emmy smiled apologetically at Zoro. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to assume."

"We are not related!" Zoro fumed and pointed a finger at the man, "For one thing, I wouldn't be stupid enough to get stuck in a treasure chest for 20 years."

"20 years?!" Emmy gasped and turned to Luffy, "Are you going to try and get him out?"

"Shishishi, we did already," Luffy laughed with his eyes forward, "But his body has already grown into the chest and he won't come out."

"Even if Zoro cuts the box?" Emmy asked.

"No one is cutting anything attached to me!" Gaimon shouted angrily, "Are you trying to kill me?"

Emmy blinked at his container and then turned to Luffy. "Is the 'treasure' we're getting for him actually other people stuck in boxes? Is this the god's wrath that Nami was warning us about? You touch the treasure and the god stuffs you in a box?"

Nami and Usopp laughed even harder. "Emmy's theories are the best!" Nami cackled.

"Ugh...let me start all over," Gaimon groaned, "My name is Gaimon and I used to be a pirate. The pirate crew I was a part of landed on this island 20 years ago, in search of the legendary treasure. 200 men searched for one month and found nothing. Then as we were just about to leave, I noticed a cliff that was too tall to see its top from the island floor. I wondered if anyone had checked there so I climbed up. I was able to peek over the edge and I spotted 6 treasure chests but before I could pull myself up to the plateau, I slipped and fell straight down. I landed in an empty treasure chest...and now...here I am. By the time I came to, my nakama had already left and...I couldn't even climb up the cliff again because I was stuck in this box."

There was such sadness coming from him that Emmy felt compelled to reach out and pat him on his afro. "I'm sorry…" Emmy said, "It must've been so hard on you this whole time but...at least you weren't alone."

"Eh?"

Gaimon blinked back at Emmy and so did her friends. Only her brother was unresponsive as he kept his grin on his face and looked straight on. "I don't sense any loneliness in you," Emmy said slowly, "Regret...yes...some nervousness...and sadness...but no loneliness. You must've gotten along great with these animals."

"I've...been protecting them and my treasure from passersby these last 20 year," Gaimon said, "But how did you-"

"Emmy might not know how to read the situation," Zoro said with a smirk, "But she can read people very well."

"I try," Emmy said humbly as she bowed her head and smoothed out her apron.

"Ah! We're here!" Luffy said as he pointed out towards a large rocky hill with a flattened top. The turtle came to a full stop and they all jumped off its back, with Emmy sliding off last and right into Zoro's arms.

"Oof," Zoro grunted, "You're heavier than I expected."

"Don't say that to a girl!" Nami lectured while Emmy nodded at the swordsman with no offense taken.

"It's the petticoat," Emmy said, "The layers add up."

"Clearly," Zoro said as he set her down on the floor.

Luffy ran to the foot of the hill and he tilted his chin straight up to see the top of the cliff. "So this is it," he whistled.

Gaimon stood next to the rubber man and he took in a deep breath. "The time has finally come," he said with anticipation and a bright smile on his face, "Today is a great day!"

"Gaimon-san…" Emmy whispered as she stood behind him, next to Nami, Zoro, and Usopp.

Gaimon might be smiling but inside, he was feeling anxious and there was also an unshakable feeling of dread. The boxed man wanted to know and not know at the same time.

"I'm counting on you, Straw Hat!" Gaimon said.

"Yosh!" Luffy yelled as his arm stretched up to the edge of the cliff, "Gum Gum Rocket!"

He pulled himself straight up with just one swift movement and landed with both feet at the top. "Yahoo!"

He disappeared from sight and everyone held their breath. They waited for a second...then a minute...then another minute.

"What's he doing?" Zoro grumbled.

"Luffy!" Nami shouted up.

"Oy! Luffy! What the heck is going on?" Usopp called.

They heard the sounds of sandals hitting hard stone and then Luffy appeared at the edge with a treasure chest under his arm. "I found 'em!" he shouted up, "Six treasure chests!"

"Well done!" Gaimon cried joyously, despite sweat starting to form around his brows, "I finally got it! The treasure! The treasure! Toss my treasure down here! Hurry! Hurry!"

Luffy grinned and looked the man straight in the eyes. "No."

"WHAT?!" Nami, Usopp, and Gaimon gasped.

"No! I don't wanna toss it down," Luffy clarified.

"What nonsense is this?" Nami shouted, "Quit joking around."

"Yeah! That treasure belongs to Gaimon-san! Toss it down!" Usopp agreed.

"So that's how it is, huh?" Zoro sighed, "Man, that sucks."

"I'm sorry, Gaimon-san," Emmy said softly. while Usopp and Nami looked incredulously at the pair.

"You two are just going to let Luffy do that?!" Usopp demanded.

"It's all right," Gaimon said softly, "It doesn't matter anymore."

"Of course it does!" Nami protested, "You've guarded that treasure for 20 years, Gaimon-san!"

Gaimon's eyes filled with tears and he looked up at Luffy. "Straw Hat…," he choked, "You're a great guy!"

"What do you mean?" Nami asked.

"I...had a slight inkling that might be the case," Gaimon sobbed, "I tried to avoid thinking about it but...they're empty, aren't they?"

"EH?!" Usopp and Nami cried.

Luffy sighed and sat cross legged onto the edge of the cliff. "Yep," he said, "They're all empty."

"That's terrible," Nami whispered, "He's been guarding this treasure all this time and…"

"It happens all the time with treasures that have treasure maps," Gaimon said and covered his face with his hands to stifle his tears, "You go to look but someone's already taken it. That's the ordeal that treasure-hunting pirates have to go through. You can spend all your life searching for treasure and never actually finding any. There are more pirates like that than you can count."

"Hahahahhahaha! Don't be so sad, old man!" Luffy's sudden laughter echoed through the mountain.

"How can you laugh at a time like this?" Nami demanded but the rubber boy was not done.

"It's a good thing we came after only 20 years. If it was 30 years later, you might've been dead!" Luffy laughed, "You've made this much of a fool of yourself. All you've got left is to find the One Piece so why not join us pirates and hunt for the ultimate treasure?"

"Y-Y-Y-You're inviting me?!" Gaimon blubbered, this time his waterworks became tears of joy, "No one's even tried to talk to me before when they saw me like this. How many years it's been since I had a friendly conversation let alone trusted in someone…Thank you….Thank you...Straw Hat."

Emmy smiled to herself and clasped her hands behind her back. "That's not entirely true, Gaimon-san."

"Eh?" Gaimon asked and he looked up at the girl.

"You trusted in these animals, haven't you? You've spent the last 20 years not just protecting your treasure, but them as well, yes?"

Gaimon sniffed and looked at the creatures around him, who were all staring worriedly back at him. "It's true...I've shared hard times and happy times with these guys. They've become like my family."

"And you to them," Emmy said and Gaimon blinked at her.

"Are you saying…"

Emmy smiled at the boxed man. "They love you, Gaimon-san."

Gaimon's eyes filled with tears again and he spread his hands out to the animals. "You...you guys…!"

The animals stampeded towards him and began to lick his face, nuzzle him, and embrace the boxed man. Emmy giggled at the display of affection and she then looked up at her brother. They shared a grin and then Luffy leapt back down from the cliff.

"So, old man," Luffy said with a hand on his hat, "What do you say? You coming?"

Gaimon wiped his eyes with the back of his arm, "I think I'll stay. Even if there is no treasure, Emmy-chan is right. I still have to protect these guys. Now that I know there's no treasure, I somehow feel finally free. I think I can live a life I want now. Plus, I've actually grown a bit fond of being in this box."

"So the weird creatures are your true nakama," Zoro grinned.

"It makes sense since he's the weirdest one of them all," Luffy said.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Gaimon seethed as the rest of the humans started to laugh. It didn't take long for Gaimon to join in on their laughter too.


	18. I am Being Watched Over.

"He fell asleep here again…" Emmy murmured as she draped a soft quilt over the sleeping swordsman, who was napping along the roof of the galley. Although the sun was shining brightly that morning, the skies were speckled with clouds and it was slightly windy. The first mate did not want Zoro to catch a cold. After all, she would feel some of his symptoms, regardless if she caught it herself, and in the worst case scenario, it might spread to the others.

_Thud!_

A heavy sound from the deck below made Emmy peak over the roof and she stared curiously at the large crate resting next to her brother's feet.

"Whew! That's heavy," Luffy grunted as he collapsed over the box, his arms dangling over the "DANGER!' sign that was painted on all sides of the crate in bold red letters.

"W-what is that?!" Nami demanded.

"Did you take the cannonballs, Luffy?" Emmy asked, recognizing the box from the storage room, "Why?"

"Cannonballs?!" Nami and Usopp shrieked.

"We finally got a cannon, so I thought I'd do some practice!" Luffy said with a grin, pointing at a cannon that he had taken out of the cannon deck and brought up to the main deck.

"Then just leave it to me," Usopp said as he rubbed his chin and pointed his nose in the air, "I believe I was three when I jumped on a cannonball that I blasted around the world. I flew around just by standing on it and I got to see-"

"Eh? How do you work this thing?" Luffy muttered to himself as he inspected the cannon for clues.

"LISTEN!" Usopp seethed but the captain did no such thing.

"Oy! Zoro! Do you know-" Luffy started to call out but Emmy pressed her finger to her lips.

"Zoro is sleeping," Emmy said, "Don't wake him up, Luffy."

"Shishishihi," Luffy grinned, "Okay. Do you need help getting down?"

"Please give me some credit," Emmy replied as she jumped off the roof and to the deck below, "See? I can manage."

"Okay," Luffy said and looked around the open seas, "Now...what should I shoot with the cannon?"

"A little further south is a reef that could make for perfect target practice," Nami said as she did a casual once over on the map in her hand.

"YAY! Let's go!" Luffy shouted joyously.

With clear-cut directions from the navigator, Luffy, Usopp, and Emmy managed to steer the ship towards the reef and positioned the Going Merry head on with about 1 mile of distance. The reef itself was somewhat in a cylindrical shape that stood high above the water. The navigator was right. It was the perfect target to test out a cannon. Too bad the gunman was far from perfect.

_Kaboosh!_

Luffy's cannonball fell about 30 degrees to the left of the reef, missing it completely, and not even getting within 50 feet of the target.

"Psh. That was way off!" Usopp taunted.

"Wha...what are you guys doing?!" Zoro yawned as he got up from his nap, "Eh? Where'd this blanket come from?"

"I put it there," Emmy said with a smile, "I didn't want you to catch a cold. You should just leave the blanket since you like napping up there so much."

"Ah, thanks," Zoro grinned and he left the blanket in a messy bunch on the roof, not noticing the small frown that came over the First Mate's face. He started to get to his feet.

"Ahem," Emmy coughed lightly into her fist, "Zoro?"

"Ah?"

"Please fold the blanket."

Zoro raised his eyebrow. "Really?"

Emmy folded her hands in front of her and nodded. "I insist."

Zoro rolled his eyes but he diligently did so anyways. He was very much aware of the fact that he had so much time to nap because Emmy was doing all the chores herself. If she decided to stop, he might end up losing his nap time and, even worse, get assigned to bathroom cleaning duty.

"Fine...fine…," he grunted as he matched the corners of the blanket together, "Happy now?"

Emmy smiled when he showed her his finished work. "Yes, very nice. Thank you, Zoro."

"Whatever," Zoro said as he jumped down to join the rest of the group, "So what's going on?"

"Cannon practice!" Luffy cheered as he blasted off another shot.

_Kaboosh!_

This time the cannonball went even further away from the reef than his first one. Usopp placed a hand on his hips and he clucked his tongue. "Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. I'm telling you, let me try!"

"Luffy," Emmy said as she walked over and put a hand on Luffy's shoulder, "Let Usopp have a go. You've already went twice and we don't want to waste too many cannonballs."

Luffy pouted but he nodded anyways. "Fine. Usopp, you can go," he said disgruntledly.

"Yosh!" Usopp said as he walked over to the cannon and began to adjust the angle, "Judging from the last flying distance...and the wind...this should do it….Ready...Aim...FIRE!"

_KABOOM!_

The reef shattered right from the middle and everyone's jaw dropped, including the gunman himself.

"Whoa! It hit!" Luffy cried, the amazingness of the shot overpowering his desire to shoot the heavy powered weapon.

"It really did…" Usopp whispered feeling very impressed with himself and then he quickly recovered. He stood up straighter and jutted a thumb at himself, "Whadya think?! I'm awesome when it comes to aiming. Impressed?"

"Very!" Emmy breathed.

"That's settled then! You're officially our sniper!" Luffy cheered.

"What? I thought I was going to be the captain!" Usopp protested.

"Nobody ever thought that!" Nami, Luffy, and Zoro snapped as Emmy giggled.

"Okay, now that we know how to fire the cannon and who should be manning it," she said, "It's time for lunch. Luffy, put the cannonballs away and then wash up before you come into the galley. Usopp, Zoro, Nami, you guys wash your hands too."

"Yes, Emmy," they all replied in unison as she headed for the kitchen to start serving the food.

The crew were enjoying their lunch, talking and making plans on who Luffy should recruit next. There were three votes for a cook, from Nami, Usopp, and Zoro, and a vote for a doctor, from Emmy. Of course, all their suggestions were vetoed by the captain, who was adamant about getting a musician.

"Are you an idiot?!" Zoro spat. He shoved the last bite of curry and rice into his mouth and glared at his captain.

"Pirates sing!" Luffy roared as if that explained everything.

_Crash!_

"Come out, you damn pirates!" came an unfamiliar shout from outside the galley.

"Eh?" the group lowered their utensils and their heads whipped towards the door.

"Emmy, stay in here," Luffy said as he got up to his feet and stormed out of the room towards the intruder, "What's going on? Who are you?!"

The door swung shut behind the rubber boy and Nami, Usopp, and Emmy ran to press their faces against the glass of its porthole. They could spot a man on the lower decks with slanted black sunglasses and a blue hoodie on. His hair was short and black with a tuft of it sticking out on the right side of his head. His face was slim, with a tattoo of the word 'Sea' on his left cheek and he was scowling up at their captain.

"Shut up! Who I am isn't important!" he shouted as he lunged forward, pulling out a sword and swinging it up at Luffy.

"Luffy!" Emmy gasped just as the rubber boy jumped out of the way and the sword came slicing through the guard rails in front of the galley, "Ah! He's destroying Merry-san!"

She reached for the knob and immediately Usopp's hand covered hers, stilling it, "Luffy said to stay in here, didn't he?"

"You're right," Emmy said and then swiftly opened it, pushing Usopp and Nami out, "So you two go."

"WHAT?!" they shrieked just as Emmy shut the door behind them.

"Stop them, please!" Emmy requested with a hopeful smile just as the man started to attack Luffy again.

"We've taken the heads of many a pirates. Are you nameless pirate wannabes trying to kill my partner?!" he demanded as he swung his sword down, lodging it firmly into the floorboards of the deck.

"LET US BACK IN!" the navigator and sniper cried as they tried to turn the knob but Emmy kept a firm grip on it.

"How many are out there?" Zoro asked as Nami and Usopp started to bang on the door.

"Just one," Emmy said, "A man...with a tattoo on his face that says 'Sea' on it…Do you think he's a pirate, Zoro?"

Suddenly, Emmy found herself being pushed away from the door by the swordsman. "Out of the way," he grunted, "I knew that voice sounded familiar."

He marched out of the room and swept the navigator and sniper aside with just a brush of his arm. He folded his arms over his chest and stood right where the railing once was. He watched as Luffy grabbed the man by the head and threw him over the captain's own head in a perfect suplex.

"Stop breaking our ship!" Luffy shouted before releasing his grip and straightening up to a standing position. He planted his hands on his hips and his bottom lip jutted out disapprovingly at the intruder. "Emmy worked really hard in keeping it clean.."

"Oy. Is that you, Johnny?" Zoro called out from outside the galley.

"Who's saying my name all familiar-like?!" the man snapped and he blinked up at the swordsman. He immediately shot up to his feet, "B-B-Big Bro Zoro?!"

"So it _is_ you, Johnny!"

Luffy tilted his head to the side. "What now? You two know each other?"

"Is something wrong? Is Yosaku with you?" Zoro asked.

"Wait! How the hell do you know each other?!" Nami demanded as Usopp motioned for Emmy to come out of the room.

"We spent some time as bounty hunters together," Zoro said and he shot a concerned look at Johnny, "He usually works with another guy named Yosaku...so why isn't he with you, Johnny?"

"C-...Come look," Johnny said, his face darkening as he went to the starboard side of the ship. He leaned over the railings and pointed below.

Zoro glanced over and spotted a small boat that was now tied to the Going Merry. On the deck was Johnny's partner, Yosaku. He was usually a stern looking man with a natural frowning expression but all Zoro saw was blood seeping out of the bandages that wrapped around his stomach and his skin a ghostly greenish purple.

"Y-Y-Yosaku is…" Johnny sobbed and Zoro patted him solemnly on the back.

"Get him on board," Emmy said as she joined them on the deck.

They turned to look at her and she smiled at the new guest. "Johnny-san...you are sad but still with a bit of hope so I can only assume that Yosaku-san might still be alive."

"Y-Y-Yes, he is still alive," Johnny said, too distraught to really register what the girl was saying, as he wiped his tears with his sleeves, "But barely...he…"

"Get him onboard and then we'll talk," Zoro said as he jumped overboard and onto Johnny's boat to get Yosaku up.

They placed the man at the center of the deck and immediately Emmy felt pain in her joints, aching in her gums, and a shortness of breath. She then felt herself being tugged back by Luffy and he pushed her behind him.

"Don't get too close, Emmy," he ordered.

"Okay," Emmy said and peeked over his shoulder.

"Why? Is it contagious?!" Usopp gasped as he tried to hide behind Luffy as well.

Emmy shook her head. "I just can't get too close or else I'll feel his symptoms too."

"Eh?! You feel those things too?" Usopp whispered.

Emmy nodded. "Not enough to kill me and I don't actually get sick...but yes, to some degree I feel it too..."

"That's insane," Usopp said.

"It's easy to handle in small doses but yes...It can be quite overwhelming if I'm not careful," Emmy said. She smiled softly to herself when she recalled the time her and Luffy stayed for two whole weeks in the hideout that Luffy, Ace, and Sabo had built when Dadan and the bandits caught the flu.

"He's really sick," Johnny cried to Zoro, "Although he was full of life just a few days ago, he suddenly turned pale and then he kept fainting. Then his teeth fell out and his old wound opened up and started to bleed. I don't know what's causing it and I don't know what to do!"

He sniffed and pointed over to where the reef once was, "We were on this rocky island earlier. I landed there so that I could let him rest quietly...but then...it got destroyed by a cannonball from this ship.."

Usopp and Luffy's eyes widened in horror as Emmy immediately pushed their heads down, forcing them to bend at the waist. Then she did too.

"We are very sorry!" they said in unison.

"Sorry doesn't cut it...Isn't that right, partner?!" Johnny cried.

"Are you all stupid?!" Nami demanded from the sidelines and all the healthy humans turned to look incredulously at her.

"What?!" Zoro seethed.

Nami stooped down near Yosaku's head and pulled out his tongue.

"What are you doing?! Let go of him, you-" Johnny said as he grabbed Nami by the arm but she quickly shoved him off. She then turned her attention to Luffy, Usopp, and Emmy.

"Emmy, we have limes in our storage room, right? Have Usopp and Luffy bring them here now!"

Emmy nodded and grabbed the guilt ridden Usopp and Luffy by the wrist. "Come on," she said and pulled them down to the storage room with her.

"Wait...what are we-" Luffy started to say.

"I don't know," Emmy said as she entered the storage room and looked around for the barrel of limes, "But Nami felt pretty confident so we just need to trust that she knows what's going on...Ah! Here it is. Please take this up, Luffy...Usopp."

The boys grabbed onto the barrel and hoisted it up to main deck. Immediately, Nami put them to work by having them squeeze the lime juice straight into Yosaku's mouth. "It's scurvy. It used to be a hopeless disease that occurred often during long journeys out at sea but the cause was simply a deficiency of nutrients from fresh fruit and vegetables. If we aren't too late, he should be fine in the next few days."

"Really?!" Johnny cried, "Thank you, Big Sis!'

"Don't call me that," Nami scoffed.

"This is why we need a doctor," Emmy said with a frown as she stopped Luffy from shoving in a whole lime into poor Yosaku's mouth.

"No," Nami corrected, "This is why you need a cook. This is a common thing that can be avoided as long as you know how to get the nutrients you need from the limited kinds of food in your supply."

"I guess you're right," Emmy sighed.

"Okay! A seafaring cook that'll make feasts for us every day!" Luffy cheered, "And then a musician!"

"Enough with the musician!" Zoro snapped.

"Well, if you're looking for a cook like that," Johnny interrupted, "There's actually a perfect place for that."

The pirates and their navigator blinked back at him. "Eh?"

* * *

Under Johnny's guidance, the Going Merry headed north-northeast towards the direction of the Grand Line. Allegedly, there was a restaurant just outside the Calm Belt that not only served food right off of a ship but also housed a plethora of seafaring cooks. The journey would take roughly a day and a half, giving Yosaku plenty of time to rest.

They left him sleeping in Nami's room and she was to sleep in the boys' room, just until Yosaku had recovered. Usopp took night watch and positioned himself up at the crow's nest while Luffy and Emmy slept out on the deck, under the starry night sky. The moon was high and almost full. It's light sparkled on the water's surface as the Going Merry glided by.

"Yosh!" Usopp muttered to himself as he kept the telescope pressed up against his eye, "Not even a tiny fly can escape the amazing eyes of the brave warrior, Captain Usopp! Anything to the south? No….North? All clear...East? Safe!...West? HA! Of course, there's nothing. Enemies flee once they know that the great Captain Usopp is on watch."

Then a mischievous thought came into his head and he lowered his telescope down to his lap. "Hehe. Let's see how many spit balls I can shoot at Luffy before he wakes up," he chuckled as he pulled out a straw from his bag and started to chew on it's paper wrapper.

He fit the straw to his mouth and directed the end of it down towards the rubber boy. Then, when his eyes fell on the captain, he gasped, accidentally inhaling too sharply and the paper hit the back of his throat.

"GAH!" Usopp doubled over, whacking himself in the chest to cough out the paper wad. As soon as it fell out and he got in a good, clear breath of air, the sniper peeked over the top of the crow's nest and down at the captain and first mate.

They were awake and were whispering to each other. Usopp couldn't make out what they were saying but it was definitely serious since Luffy's grin was nowhere in sight and Emmy looked like she had just finished crying. Her eyes were red and puffy and so were her cheeks. The unexpected scene was what had caused the sniper to accidentally inhale his own projectile.

 _What? What's going on?,_ Usopp thought to himself and feeling slightly ashamed that he was spying on them, _Did we do something to upset her?_

He watched as Luffy held Emmy's hand tightly in his and listened attentively to whatever she had to say. Then she said something that made Luffy's grin come back. The mood was lifted and suddenly, Emmy's head was tucked under Luffy's chin and she fell back to sleep. Just as Usopp was about to go turn away, Luffy's eyes shifted and it locked dead on to Usopp's.

"EEP!" Usopp couldn't help but shriek as he shrunk down behind the wall of the crow's nest, "I got busted!"

Then he blinked. "Wait. Why do I have to feel ashamed? I'm the one on night watch and I have to keep an eye on everything. It's their fault they decided to sleep out on the deck. That's right...That's right. It's not my fault."

He popped his head back up over the crow's nest and almost had a heart attack when he was nose to nose to his captain's face. "GYAAA!"

Luffy had thrown his head and stretched his neck all the way to the crow's nest and he was grinning like a madman at his sniper. "Shishishi. Hi!"

"Oy, Luffy," Usopp hissed, "Is Emmy okay? What's going on?"

"She's fine," Luffy replied, "She just has bad dreams once in awhile."

"Oh really?" Usopp asked, "How often does she have these bad dream then?"

"Not as often as usual," Luffy said and his smile became wider. He was clearly pleased by this fact.

"I see," Usopp said, "Well, when I was 5, I once battled this sleep monster that ate up children's dreams and pooped out nightmares. He was the size of a -"

"Oy, Usopp! Can you do me a favor?"

"Listen when I tell my stories, will ya?!" Usopp spat and then he let out a sigh of defeat, "Okay. What? What's the favor?"

"Look out for her, okay?" Luffy asked with a grin, "You have better eyes than me."

"Eh?" Usopp was slightly taken aback by this roundabout compliment, "I...I...guess so. But look out for what? Is she in danger?"

"I don't know," Luffy stated, "But that's why I'm asking you. You're better at this kind of stuff."

"What kind of stuff?"

Luffy shrugged. "You know, the stuff you do with Kaya."

A blush came over Usopp's face. "Oy! Don't get the wrong idea about me and Kaya! I just tell her stories and make her laugh. She's-"

"She's like your sister, right?" Luffy said with a nod of understanding, "I don't have the wrong idea. I know. It's the same with me and Emmy."

Usopp scratched his chin and he pondered his captain's words. "So...what you're asking me...is to look out...for...Emmy's happiness?"

Luffy nodded. "Yep. That!"

"I guess," Usopp said and then he scrambled to his feet. He planted his hands on his hips and stuck his nose in the air, "Just leave it to me! Captain Usopp, the brave warrior of the sea and bringer of happiness to sisters all around the world! Why just this one time, I was helping this cursed prince rescue his sister, who was locked up in a tower and-"

_Snap! Zzzzzzzz!_

Luffy's head whizzed back to it's original position and he promptly started to snore.

"DON'T FALL ASLEEP IN THE MIDDLE OF MY STORY!"


	19. I am Willing to Work On His Behalf

"Whoooahhhhh!"

Usopp and Luffy smacked their drool coated lips while Emmy and Nami stared wide eyed at the fish-shaped ship they were sailing towards. Only the swordsman seemed unamused and unimpressed with the fine-dining restaurant that served quality food in the middle of the sea.

"What do you think, everyone?! Welcome to the Baratie!" Johnny asked excitedly.

"It's a huge ship!" Luffy cheered.

"How lovely!" Nami breathed.

"That's pretty funky," Usopp added.

"Right? It's just like I told you!" Johnny said.

"Marines are here," Emmy stated.

Johnny nodded. "They serve everyone from regular citizens to marines to even pirates! They basically serve anyone who have a reason to be out at sea and have money to pay for their meal."

"No…," Emmy said and pointed towards the port side of the Going Merry. She was staring in that direction while everyone else was looking straight ahead, "I meant...the marines are here."

"EH?!" the people around her gasped just as a naval warship pulled up beside the Going Merry.

"WHAT?! At a place like this?!" Yosaku shrieked from the doorway to Nami's room as Johnny scurried across the deck so that they could both hide behind the door.

Usopp gulped as his eyes caught onto the cannon that was pointed directly at them. "S-Surely they're not gonna shoot at us, are they?"

"Tch. What an unpleasant bunch we've run into," Zoro grunted.

A man appeared on the top deck of the warship and he stood right by the railing to take a close look at the pirates. He was a pink-haired man, who wore a white pinstripe suit. He put a hand on the railing, revealing heavy brass knuckles. "I'm Iron Fist Fullbody, Lieutenant at Navy Headquarters!" he announced to the group, "I do not recognize your pirate mark! Who is your captain? Come out and state your name!"

"I'm Luffy!"

"I'm Usopp!"

Emmy blinked at the back of Usopp's head. "Why are you announcing yourself, Usopp? He asked for the captain."

"Quiet, Emmy!" Usopp hissed back, "I am Captain Usopp! He doesn't have to know that I'm just not a captain of _this_ ship."

"We just made our pirate mark a couple days ago!" Luffy announced to their audience.

"And I'm the one who drew it!" Usopp added.

Emmy felt Luffy's annoyance and she pulled on Usopp's sleeve. "You better stop, Usopp...Luffy might throw you overboard," she advised.

"You two over there!" Fullbody called out suddenly, noticing Johnny and Yosaku peeking out from behind the wooden door, "I remember seeing you before. If I remember correctly, you two are bounty hunter duo that only go after small fish."

"What?!" the pair shouted, clearly offended by the marine's words.

"So you've finally got caught by the pirates…" Fullbody smirked.

Johnny and Yosaku's jaws clenched and their fists tightened by their side. Emmy noticed their body language and then she pushed past Usopp and Luffy to stand by the railing.

"Please don't say that," Emmy requested and she bowed her head to the marine, "Johnny-san and Yosaku-san are our guests. Please be respectful to them as I'd like their stay here to be as comfortable as possible."

"Little Sis?!" Johnny and Yosaku asked as Fullbody raised an eyebrow at her.

"Tch. Are you kidding me? Respect? To nameless pirates and a bunch of small time bounty hunters?" Fullbody sniffed just as a beautiful woman came up to him. She was very elegantly dressed with her blonde hair piled high into a loose bun and a red dress that hugged her curves.

"Come. Let's go to the restaurant," she requested to Fullbody in a soft, singsong voice.

"Okay," Fullbody said with a shrug, allowing the woman to pull him away from the pirates.

"Oy! Who you calling small time?!" Johnny yelled out as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a stack of papers. He flung it out in front of him and they flew around the deck, "You think small-time bounty hunters would go after these guys?!"

Fullbody didn't even bother to turn around and give Johnny a second glance, which angered the bounty hunter even more. Some of the papers floated right next to Emmy's feet and she saw that they were flyers of wanted pirates. Each of them were worth well over 10 million bellis and they all had menacing pictures. She bent down and picked the flyer up. _Don Tacos...worth 15 million bellis…_

Suddenly, she felt a sharp spike of rage, anger, and fear. Emmy gasped and dropped the paper in her hand.

"What? What is it?" Luffy asked but Emmy said nothing. She just turned her head and studied the source.

 _Nami-san?_ , Emmy thought as she watched the navigator staring intently at a bounty flyer in her hands. She was kneeling among the papers and her back was turned to Emmy so she couldn't see who the bounty was for. She didn't need a name, though, because it was clear just from the feeling of tightness in Nami's chest exactly who the navigator was looking at. _The one who is holding onto her chains..._

Nami crumpled the paper in her hands but before Emmy could take a step towards her, the sound of a cannon fire grabbed everyone's attention.

_Kaboom!_

"AH! They're shooting at us!" Usopp shrieked just as a cannonball came flying out of the marine's cannon.

"Protect Merry-san!" Emmy cried.

"I got it!" Luffy announced as he wrapped his feet around the guard rails, put one hand on the mast, and the other on the Merry's figurehead, "Gum Gum…"

The cannonball hit Luffy right in the belly and the rubber boy stretched back with his limbs still holding firmly on the ship, "SLINGSHOT!"

_Crack!_

Part of Merry's figurehead snapped off in Luffy's hand the rubber boy swung outwards.

"AHHHHH!" Luffy cried out in surprise as the trajectory shifted and the cannonball was launched at the Baratie while the rubber boy himself slammed stomach first into the figurehead.

"Oh no!" Emmy watched in horror as the cannonball blew through the roof of the restaurant. She immediately rushed over to grab Luffy by the collar and pull him off of his resting spot, "Luffy! We're going to the Baratie and you're going to apologize to them."

"Eh?! But it was the marines-" Luffy protested.

"Usopp! Please fix the figurehead! Zoro, please watch the marines! Nami-san, please stay here and don't do anything rash. I would like to talk to you a little later!" the first mate hurriedly commanded to the rest of the crew. Then she turned to Johnny and Yasopp, "And you two…"

"Yes, Little Sis?" they asked.

She smiled at them, "Please, make yourself comfortable."

* * *

The second Luffy swung him and Emmy over to the Baratie, two cooks were already waiting for them and the two Monkeys were whisked off to the room where the cannonball had broke through. An old cook sat on the edge of a bed. Broken debris lied in pieces around the room with torn books and pages mixed in as well.

Emmy bowed at the waist towards the chef on the bed. He was clearly the man in charge as his chef's hat was so tall that it was bent at the top from hitting what's left of the ceiling. There was blood seeping through the brim of his hat, down his wrinkled face, and behind his long, braided mustache that stuck out like handles on a clock. He also had a blonde goatee on his chin.

Luffy's eyes went to the old man's peg leg and the rubber boy collapsed into a groveling position. "I AM SO SORRY!" he wailed, "Your leg...I never meant to-"

"IDIOT!" the chef roared and stamped his remaining foot right into Luffy's face, "This didn't happen just now."

"O-Oh?" Luffy stammered with a shoe still firmly on his nose, "Then...it was like that from the beginning?"

The chef kicked Luffy and he stumbled back, smacking against his sister's legs. She was as still as a statue with her head low and her hands folded in front of her apron. "On my behalf of my brother, I offer his sincerest apologies," Emmy said, "He did not mean to damage you or your restaurant."

"You think apologizing politely will fix everything?" the chef shouted, "I expect him to cover the medical fees and the repair charges for the ship!"

Luffy got to his feet. "I won't ask you to reduce the charges," he said.

"Oh?" the chef asked as he leaned back into his bed.

"But…" Luffy continued with more confidence than necessary, "I don't have any money."

The chef grinned. "You talk very candidly." He stroked his mustache and then waved his staff away.

"Well," the old chef said, "If you don't have any money, you have no other choice but to work here."

Luffy and Emmy smiled. "Yeah, I'll make proper amends," Luffy said.

"You'll do chores unpaid…"

Luffy nodded. "Okay."

"For a year."

"Okay. Chores for a- huh?!" Luffy's big grin was soon overtaken by his widened eyes. "A YEAR?!"

"Yep. I'll let you off the hook with that," the old chef said.

"A-a-a-a-a year?!" Luffy stammered and looked at Emmy for help, "I can't work here for a year!"

"What if I worked as well? Could I reduce the sentencing? I'm quite good at cleaning and am willing to work on his behalf," Emmy suggested.

"I can't ask a woman to work in my kitchen."

"I...I don't need to be in the kitchen. I can work in the dining area as a server," Emmy tried.

"We are a bit short staffed…" the old chef sighed and then he nodded, "Fine. 6 months each."

Luffy nodded and held up one finger.

The chef raised his bushy eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"One week each," Luffy said.

The chef chuckled. "Still talking so candidly."

Luffy added another finger. "Two weeks!"

"OY! You wrecked my restaurant and seriously injured me, the Head Chef! You can't settle that with just one or two weeks of unpaid work," the chef barked. He lowered his head so that his tall hat could knock some sense into Luffy's.

"Three weeks!" Luffy insisted.

The old chef took a deep breath. "Little girl," he said, "Please wait outside while I discuss matters with your brother."

Emmy bowed and she left the room. She wondered if she should warn her brother about the chef's rising temper but she figured he was about to find out. She waited outside the door while she heard the sounds of yelling and kicks.

"Don't talk so candidly!" the old chef roared.

Emmy leaned over the banister and she waved at Usopp, Nami, and Zoro. She could see them still on the Merry, waiting patiently for their return.

"What's going on?" Usopp shouted over, "Are they mad?!"

"Of course, they are!" Nami huffed, "Emmy, what amount are they asking for? Does Luffy have the money? Don't expect me to chip in!"

"They're negotiating right now!" Emmy called back, "You might as well use Johnny-san's boat to come over and eat while you wait."

"Yosh! Time for lunch!" Usopp cheered as a smile broke out on Zoro's face.

Emmy watched as they climbed into Johnny and Yosaku's boat and Zoro rowed them over to the Baratie. The main entrance of the restaurant was on the deck below Emmy so she waved at them from overhead.

 _Nami-san seems to be feeling a little better but it's not quite gone yet.._. _,_ Emmy thought to herself just before they passed under her, _So her master is a pirate with a high bounty...No wonder she hates pirates…_

_Crash!_

Emmy gasped and turned on her heels, half expecting to see another cannon-made hole in the room behind her. She raced back into the room to see that somehow, Luffy and the old chef had fallen through the floor. She knelt by the hole and poked her head through it.

She was looking right into the main dining area. It was a large room with enough tables and chairs to seat over a hundred people comfortably. The floor was pristine and shinier than an oyster's pearl and there were chandeliers that hung along the ceiling. Well-dressed men and women were gaping at Luffy and the old man while Nami, Usopp, and Zoro stood disapprovingly at the front door.

"What now?" Usopp sighed.

"Boy...that startled me," Luffy said as he sat up on the floor.

Emmy knelt a bit closer to the edge of the hole and she stuck her head down it to get a closer look. "Luffy? Are you alright?"

Luffy brushed the dust off his shorts, got up to his feet, and then he grinned at his sister while holding his arms out directly below her. "I'm okay. Come on down. I'll catch you."

"Okay," Emmy said as she jumped down the hole, "Here I come."

"Yosh! I got-" Luffy started to say but then someone pushed him back onto the floor and did the honors for him.

_Thud._

"I got you, little lady."

Emmy blinked at the strange boy that had caught her in his expensive black suit. He looked about the same age as Zoro, although he was definitely more on the slimmer side. He had short blonde hair that covered his left eye and revealed just enough for Emmy to see his uniquely curled eyebrows. He smiled serenely at Emmy as he lowered her to the ground.

"Ah, what a delicate little bud you are," he breathed with his arm still resting around her back, "Someday you will bloom into a fine rose."

A blush came to her cheeks. "Th...thank you," she said, although she wasn't quite sure how much of it was directed at the save and how much was for the flowery compliment.

"Oy! What was that for? I could've caught her," Luffy huffed as he stormed over to the two, grabbing Emmy by the wrist and pulling her away from the blonde boy's reach.

"Fool," the boy said and took the cigarette out from between his lips, "An exquisite lady such as her needs to be handled like peach, with utmost care and a delicate touch. You would've bruised her with your manhandling."

Luffy shrugged. "Eh, she'll heal."

"That's not the point, you jerk!" the boy snapped.

"Luffy, stop it. He was only trying to help," Emmy said and she inserted herself in between the two. She gave a polite nod towards the boy with the curled eyebrows. "I appreciate your thoughtfulness, sir."

The boy put a hand behind his back and then another across his waist. He bowed to Emmy. "It is my pleasure, little lady," he said with his cigarette balanced perfectly between his lips.

"Gah! It's you two! The newbie pirate captain and the brat from earlier, who tried to lecture me about respect. I thought we sank your ship already," somebody grunted from the sidelines.

Emmy's eyes went to the source and then she let out a startled gasp when they fell on Fullbody, the marine from before. Except he didn't look like before. He was bleeding all over and his right cheek was swollen. It didn't stop him from glaring back at her.

"Oh...hello again," Emmy said with a nervous nod. _What happened to him?_

The boy with the curled eyebrows seemed to be intrigued by this exchange. He straightened back up and walked brusquely across the room, towards Fullbody.

Emmy blinked and a cold chill shot down her back. _The way he walks...Is he a Noble?!_

"You not only wasted precious food, you also tried to injure the little lady?!" the boy seethed, his calm demeanor immediately going up in flames when he approached Fullbody, "You shall pay for your crimes."

Three cooks came sprinting over to the boy and they desperately tried to hold him back. "No, Sanji! Behave yourself! He's a customer!"

Emmy's demeanor instantly relaxed. _Oh...He works here...I'm just being overly sensitive. He doesn't have that air about him...He must be used to serving Nobles and thus picked up their posture and movements._

"Emmy? You okay?" Luffy asked, noticing how his sister's skin had turned a shade paler than normal.

Emmy's lips thinned into a smile and she gave a small nod. "En. I'm fine."

"OY! Sanji! Are you going on a rampage in the restaurant again, you idiot?!" the old chef interrupted. He stormed over to the blonde and whacked him a couple of times with the top of his towering chef's hat.

"Shut up, you damn geezer!" Sanji snapped.

"What'd you say? Who do you think you're talking to?" the old chef retorted, "Are you trying to put my restaurant out of business?"

_Thwack!_

With a swipe from his peg leg, the old chef dealt a heavy kick across the boy's face, making him spit out his cigarette. "You brat!" the old chef roared.

From the sidelines, Fullbody let out a little smirk. It seemed Emmy wasn't the only one who caught it because soon, Fullbody got a peg legged across his own face too.

"YOU TOO!" the old chef cried, "Get out of here already!"

Emmy looked curiously between Zeff and Sanji. _They are fighting and are annoyed with each other...but...they're not actually mad...In fact...they're enjoying it?! What an odd pair…_

"F-F-Fullbody! Lieutenant Fullbody!"

Emmy and the rest of the restaurant turned to the back door to see a marine stumble in with a frantic look on his face. His clothes were dishevelled and his face had signs of a scuffle. "We've got trouble!," he cried.

"Geez. What a wild restaurant," Luffy said and Emmy smiled at her brother.

"It means we'll be able to find the right cook for us."

"Shishishishi. That's true."

"Pirate Krieg's underling has escaped!" the marine reported to the bleeding Fullbody.

"Krieg?!" Emmy gasped and Luffy looked at her curiously.

"Don Krieg…," Emmy said with her eyes glued on Fullbody, "He leads the Krieg Pirates. They're said to be the strongest pirates in the East Blue."

"Ooh," Luffy whistled, "Pirates."

_Bang!_

Without any warning, the marine was suddenly shot from behind. In the same breath, Luffy shifted himself in front of Emmy and held out an arm to block her from straying. His cheerful expression was still on his face as he watched the gunman enter the room. The gun was still smoking in his hand and blood dripped down over his eyes and down his neck. The diners screamed and most of them either rushed out of the restaurant or pressed themselves against the wall.

The cooks, however, seemed unfazed.

"Looks like we have a new customer," stated a surly looking cook with a shaved head and a pink ascot tied around his neck and over his navy blue shirt.

Zeff sniffed and folded his arms across his chest. "He'd better not be someone who'll go on a rampage in my place."

The gunman steadily walked into the restaurant and made his way to an empty table. When he passed by Luffy and Emmy, Emmy's hand instinctively went to her stomach, which felt like it was about to collapse into itself. He was beyond hungry. He was starving and based off of Emmy's own experience with being deprived of food for extended periods of time, she guessed he hadn't touched food and water for three days at least.

He looked like it too. His cheeks were sunken and his face was pale. The dark circles under his eyes were just as thick as his lips. He wore a grey and blue striped headband over his scruffy black hair and a matching jacket with a red serpent painted on the each side of his chest. He rested one foot on the table clothed table. "Bring me food," he said sullenly, "This is a restaurant, right?"

The cook with the pink ascot came over to the table. He rubbed his hands together and grinned so wide that it made Luffy's pale in comparison. "Welcome to the restaurant, ya damn crook."

"I'll say it one more time so listen good," the gunman said, "Bring me food."

"Um, sir?" the cook asked as he sheepishly scratched the top of his head, "I'm terribly sorry but do you have the money for that?"

The cook found himself staring down the barrel of a gun.

"Would a bullet do?" the gunman asked.

Instantly, the grin was gone and replaced with furrowed brows and a scowl. "So you don't have money, right?" the cook growled.

_Thwack!_

The cook brought his fists down on the gunman before he could even blink, let alone pull the trigger. The cook's fists collided with the gunman's head and brought him crashing down to the floor, breaking the chair that he was sitting on. "If you can't pay for the food, you're not a customer!" the cook shouted.

"Wooo. What power," Luffy said from the sidelines.

"Good job, Cook!" the diners cheered.

"Patty, that dumbass," the old chef huffed, "He broke the chair."

Emmy heard the gunman's stomach gurgle and moan. She peeked over Luffy's shoulder and watched as the gunman tried to sit himself up, but he was just too hungry to muster any more strength. "You stupid raccoon dog...Just bring me some food," the gunman said as he clung to his last shred of pride.

"Don't give me orders," Patty said as he started to kick the starving man over and over again in his stomach, "We serve customers here so if you're not one of them, you should just get the hell out."

"Yeah, Cook!" the diners whistled and egged Patty on.

Emmy felt frustrated for the hungry gunman but all she could do to express herself was ball her hands into a fists as they pressed against Luffy's back. _That poor man...He's already so weak. They can just toss him out. They don't need to put him on display like this._

Patty flipped the man over his shoulder and walked out the back door of the restaurant. "Please never come back!" they heard him say, followed by a heavy sound of the man dropping to the floor. Patty re-entered the restaurant and he shut the door behind him.

Luffy took a beat before he reached behind him to grab Emmy by the wrist.

"Let's go," he said as he made his way to a spiraling staircase in the center of the room. They made their way the upper level, past the kitchen and the bedrooms for the staff. Luffy and Emmy went straight towards the back of the ship, where there was a door that led out to a balcony. They went to the outer deck and and saw that the gunman was sprawled on the deck below and unmoving. However, he was muttering to himself.

"Damn it! If I were in a normal state, I wouldn't have been mocked by someone like that."

"Hey! You're really hungry, aren't you?" Luffy called down.

"Shut up! I'm not hungry!" the man insisted.

The backdoor flew open and the boy in the suit came out. He set a huge plate of seafood paella in front of the man, who immediately started to salivate. Sanji sat down and leaned against one of the guard rails that surrounded the lower deck. Emmy batted her eyes at the food. There was enough to serve three whole people.

"Eat it," the boy said as he puffed on his cigarette.

"Shut up! Go away!" the man shouted, "Even when I'm down and out, I won't take charity from others! Take this food away now."

"Stop whining and eat it already," Sanji replied, "To me, anyone who is hungry is a customer."

"Sorry," the man grunted, "But I'm not a customer."

His stomach said otherwise and it gurgled loud enough for Emmy to hear it from the above as if her ears were pressed right on his stomach.

Sanji took a deep drag of his cigarette and he sighed. "How large and cruel the ocean is...How scary it is to lose food and water on the ocean...How hard it is...I can understand how a hungry person feels more than anyone."

Emmy stared at the cook. He was telling the truth. She didn't need to sense him to know that he meant every word. _You've starved before too..._

Sanji ashed his cigarette on the floor. "You can die for your pride if you want, but if you eat and survive, don't you think there's a future for you?"

The man gasped and then he eyed the food once again. He gulped and then lunged for it, not even bothering with the utensils. He shoved the rice by the fistful into his mouth and even though he was eating it roughly, he was very careful not to spill even a grain of rice. Tears fell down his face but he was too busy eating to even bother wiping it away.

'S-S-Sorry...and...thank you...I thought I was going to die...I thought I was done," he sobbed in between bites, "Delicious...Delicious...I've never eaten food so delicious!"

Sanji's solemn expression broke into a delighted smile. "It's damn delicious, isn't it?"

Luffy let out a loud laugh, giving away their presence. "Emmy, I found our cook!"

Emmy folded her hands in front of her apron and she smiled. "En."


	20. I am Not a Fool.

"What?! The old geezer actually agreed to hire you, Emmy-chan?!" Sanji's cigarette dangled dangerously off his lips as he looked incredulously at the girl, "He never hires women and yet he decides to employ a little lady like yourself? Did the cannonball strike his head or something?!"

Emmy blushed and smoothed her apron. "I appreciate your concern, Sanji-san," she said softly, "But I am not as fragile as you think I am and I do not wish to be viewed as such. I would not offer my services if I did not think I would be of help."

"Of course, Emmy-chan," the cook said smoothly, "I have no doubt that you are as bright as you are pretty. However, working in a restaurant, especially this one, is rough work and-"

"I can handle it," Emmy insisted. Her eyes gleamed with determination and they locked into Sanji's to show him how serious she was, "Believe me."

"I don't mean any offense," Sanji sighed and raked his hand through his hair, "But it's just as hard to believe as you being a pirate along with this fool!"

He stuck the cigarette between his two fingers and then he jabbed it for emphasis in the direction of the rubber boy, who was perched at the top of the railing of the deck. They were all sitting outside while waiting for the gunman to finish his meal.

"Shishishi. Don't underestimate Emmy," Luffy laughed, "She's the first mate."

"First mate?!"

Emmy nodded. "Yes. Luffy is the captain and I'm the first mate...I'm also his sister."

"What? You look more like _my_ sister than his," Sanji shouted in disbelief and then he glared at the brother in question, "And you!"

Sanji's voice instantly hardened when he directed his attention at Luffy, "Why the hell did you shoot a cannonball over here?!"

"That was an accident! A self-defense shot that went astray," Luffy complained.

"The cannonball was shot by Fullbody-san," Emmy said, "And Luffy had intended to redirect it into the water but...he missed. We're very sorry."

"No need to apologize. You did nothing wrong, little lady," Sanji sang out as he took Emmy's hand into his and gave it a gentle pat. Then his smile vanished completely when he glared up at her brother, "And you, you idiot, don't do anything more to this restaurant."

Emmy blinked at him as she withdrew her hand. _His temper changes quickly…_

"The owner of this place used to be a cook in a famous pirate group," Sanji continued, not noticing the surprised expression on the girl's face.

"Eh?! So pops was a pirate…" Luffy said, taking a new look at the restaurant in front of him, half expecting a black flag with a jolly roger to suddenly wave in the wind.

"To that damn geezer, this restaurant is like his treasure," Sanji explained, "On top of that, those cooks who came here out of admiration for him, are all hot-headed just like pirate. Well, they're actually perfect for this place since pirates pass by here frequently."

"Yes, the restaurant does seem rather wild," Emmy commented.

"Yeah. This is how it is here every day. There're even customers who come here specifically to see the cooks fight off the pirates," Sanji said, "Because of that, the waiters all get scared and they don't last very long here, which is why I felt obliged to warn you, Emmy-chan."

"I can handle it," Emmy repeated.

"Are you sure? Even now, we have no waitstaff and even though I'm the sous chef, I have to be at the front of house serving the customers."

"Ah, I see...That's why pops originally told me to work here for a year…" Luffy interrupted before Emmy could reply. She knew Sanji meant well but it was still quite frustrating to keep insisting to him that she could manage the workload.

Luffy clapped his feet together for emphasis, as if marking the end of this topic. Then he grinned at the cook. "Hey! Come on. Join my pirate group!"

"Again, I refuse," Sanji said, "Stop asking me. There's a reason that I have to work in this restaurant."

"No. _I_ refuse your refusal!" Luffy shouted, jumping off his seat and stamping his foot in front of Sanji.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Sanji asked.

"You're a good cook so let's be pirates together!" Luffy insisted.

"OY! At least be reasonable," the cook huffed.

"Okay," Luffy said and folded his arms across his chest, "What is your reason?"

"I'm not telling you," the cook replied.

That did not sit well with the rubber boy at all. "WHAT?! You just said to listen to your reason!"

"I'm telling you to be reasonable and just accept what I have to say!" Sanji seethed as he got up to his feet to glare nose to nose with Luffy, "Is that stupid hat of yours blocking your hearing?!"

"What'd you say?!" Luffy cried as he balled up his fist, "I'll beat you up if you make fun of the straw hat, you jerkwad!'

_Thwack!_

Emmy's small but effective Fist of Love came cracking down on Luffy's head and she bowed her head at Sanji. "I apologize on my brother's behalf," she said, "He's being unreasonable because he really wants you to be part of your crew. I'm afraid he won't take no for an answer."

"I really-" Sanji started to say but Emmy wasn't done yet and she turned to Luffy.

"And Luffy, you might not accept his answer but you need to respect it. It is his decision to make, not yours."

"Ow!" Luffy mumbled and he pouted at his sister, "Fine…"

Sanji shook his head and he took Emmy's hand. "What a shame to have such a lovely young miss like yourself be around a fool like him. You're going to become a wonderful lady one day and it's all going to be wasted on his pirate ship."

Emmy smiled, feeling the warmth and sincerity in Sanji's words and his touch. "That is very kind of you to say, Sanji-san but please know that I have no intentions to be a lady. I want to be a pirate and live freely out at sea."

Luffy stared at the two and his bottom lip jutted forward. He stuck his hand out and chopped down right at the base of Sanji's wrist, forcing the cook to let go of his sister. Emmy looked at Luffy as he kept his glare on the boy with the curly eyebrows.

"Don't touch Emmy if you're not going to be part of the crew," Luffy huffed.

"Eh?" Emmy was taken aback by her brother's statement. Since when was that a rule?

"Sorry...to interrupt…"

They all turned to look at the pirate, who set down his finished plate of food. "I'm Gin of the Krieg Pirates," he said, "If you're a pirate...then do you have any goals?"

Luffy grinned. "I'm aiming for the One Piece. I'm going to enter the Grand Line."

Gin's eyes widened and his brow began to sweat. "Given that you're looking for a cook, it seems you only have a few members."

"Yep!" Luffy said and pointed at Sanji, "He'll be the sixth member."

"Why are you including me? Didn't Emmy-chan just say to respect my decision?!" Sanji snapped.

"Nami-san hasn't officially joined us either," Emmy reminded her brother at the same time.

"Since you seem like a nice guy, I'll warn you," Gin said to Luffy, "The Grand Line is the one place you should avoid. You're still young. You don't need to rush. The Grand LIne is only a small portion of the entire ocean. If you wanna be a pirate, there's an endless ocean out there."

Luffy tilted his head and he stared curiously at Gin. "Have you been to the Grand Line too?"

Gin's eyes practically bugged out. "T-t-too?! Have you been there already?"

"Not him…," Emmy said and smoothed out her apron again, "Me."

Gin's jaw dropped while Sanji took a more composed approach and just tilted his head curiously to the side to get a better look at the girl.

"How?!" Gin demanded, "How does a child like yourself manage to come out of the Grand Line?!"

Emmy smiled and she looked at her brother. "I got lucky, I guess," she said.

"Shishishishi," Luffy laughed, "But now we don't need luck because we have a good crew!"

"You counted me in there again, didn't you?" Sanji grumbled, "You're so transparent."

"And...And you still want to go back?" Gin asked wondrously.

Emmy nodded. "I'm not the same person I was when I left the Grand Line and...this time…"

She shared another grin with her brother. "...I'm not alone."

"Gin? Have you been to the Grand Line?" Luffy asked and the question made Gin tense up considerably.

"I...I don't know anything about it," he said.

Emmy batted her eyes at the man. He was telling the truth. She could sense it but...he was leaving something out. There was something about the Grand Line that was scaring him.

Gin took a steadying breath and then he got to his feet. "Well, do whatever you like. I'm a stranger to you so I don't have the right to try to stop you. I just wanted to warn you before I return to my boat."

"Thank you, Gin-san. That is very kind of you," Emmy said.

"Sanji-san," Gin said brusquely, not responding to Emmy's compliment, "Thank you. I owe my life to you. The food you gave me was the most delicious thing I've ever eaten. Is it okay if I come back for it?"

Sanji grinned. "Come back anytime."

Gin jumped over the railing and onto a small boat that he had tied to the Baratie. He started to untie the rope.

"Oy you two! My new busboy and waitress!"

"Eh?" Luffy and Emmy turned to see the old chef standing right outside the balcony on the upper deck.

"Ugh! Pops!" Luffy exclaimed, "He found us!"

"There you are," the old man grunted and then his eyes moved to the empty plate of food Gin had left on the deck.

"Go, Gin," Sanji said, without moving his eyes from the owner.

"Ah...sorry," Gin gulped, "You're going to get yelled at because you fed me for free, right?"

Wordlessly, Sanji walked over to the plate and with a swift scoop of his arm, he tossed it into the sea along with the utensils and empty glass of water.

"Oh?!" Gin gasped.

"There's no proof," Sanji said jovially as he waved his empty hands in the air, "So there's no reason for me to be yelled at. Now go."

Emmy studied the cook and then her eyes moved back to the old chef as Gin continued to ready his boat. She took a step closer towards the ship to get a better reading of the owner. _How very odd...Sanji isn't bracing himself for a lecture and the old man doesn't seem to be angry in the slightest...Instead...he feels...proud?_

"Thank you, Sanji-san! I'll never forget your kindness!" Gin shouted as his boat sailed away.

"Sanji! Busboy! Waitress! Get back to work!" the old man huffed.

"Oy! You damn old geezer. What happened to your "no woman policy?!" Sanji demanded.

"She'll be fine. She'll be with you in the front of house, wouldn't she, you damn brat? Or are you going to stand idly by if the little girl gets caught up in any trouble?" Zeff shot back, making Sanji's lips snapped shut. The old chef gave a nod of satisfaction before turning on his heel and walking back into the second level.

"Come on, little lady," Sanji said as he opened the back door and motioned for Emmy to walk through it, "I'll show you the tables you'll be waiting on today. Luffy, get your ass into the kitchen."

Emmy smoothed out her apron and she bowed her head. "Yes, Sanji-san!"

As she followed Sanji's lead she couldn't help but wonder if she should've warned anyone to not let Luffy touch any dishes that they didn't want him to break. Then she shook her head. They'll find out eventually and maybe they'll cut down on their sentencing to get rid of them.

* * *

"Apologies on the wait. One order of today's special soup, steak au poivre, freshly baked scallops, lobster and asparagus, and twice baked potatoes," Emmy said as she placed the large order on the table, "Please enjoy."

Usopp rubbed his hands gleefully while Nami placed her napkin over her lap. "Ah! Everything smells so good!" Nami sighed as she took in a deep breath. Then she shot a wary look at Emmy, "You think you can get us an employee discount or something?"

"I don't know...I'm working here unpaid so I doubt I get any sort of benefits…" Emmy said with a bite of her lip, "But...I can try and ask?"

"Ah, I didn't think I'd like alcohol with juice in it but this cocktail is good," Zoro said as he took a gulp out of a dainty martini glass. He set his glass down and pointed a finger at Nami, "And you. Don't get Emmy or Luffy in any more trouble or else they might have to work here even longer."

"You and Luffy really have to work here for 6 months?" Usopp asked.

Emmy held the tray flat against her lap and she smiled apologetically. "For now...unless Luffy can convince the owner to let us off the hook early. I'm sorry. With the hours at this restaurant, I don't think I'll be able to take care of Merry-san. Would it be okay if you all did some of the cleaning? I'm sorry to burden you with my responsibilites."

"It's fine," Nami said as she dug into the steak, "Usopp can swab the deck. Zoro can clean the bathroom and we'll all do our own laundry while you're gone."

"What?! Why am I on bathroom duty?" Zoro sputtered, making some of his cocktail dribble down his chin.

"EH?! What are you guys doing here?! And...and...and...EATING WITHOUT ME?!"

Luffy's indignant cry shook the entire restaurant. They all glanced over to see the rubber boy racing down the spiral staircase in the center of the room. "HOW COULD YOU?!"

"That's our business since you're no longer our captain and we're no longer part of your crew. You're the chore boy and we're the customers. Right, guys?" Zoro smirked and then let out a full-bellied laugh. He was thoroughly enjoying the tortured look on the captain's face. Serves him right. He was the one who got them into this mess.

Luffy discreetly picked his nose and then flicked his ball of snot into Zoro's water. "Take this," he muttered.

"Ah," Emmy gasped but then Nami grabbed her by the wrist. The navigator subtly shook her head while trying to stifle a laugh. Emmy sighed and decided not to intervene. After all, it seemed like whatever was happening was keeping Nami in good spirits.

"Well, it's true that the food here is good," Zoro said as he reached for his glass of water, seemingly not notice the little green ball of mucus floating gently down to the bottom. He slowly brought the glass to his lips, "I feel bad for you...but…"

The swordsman shot up to his feet, knocking his chair back, and poured the glass of water down Luffy's throat. "You can drink this booger water yourself!"

Usopp and Nami went into hysterical laughter and pounded the table as Luffy clutched his throat and fell on his back. "AHHH! I can't believe you did that!" the rubber boy screamed as he writhed around in disgust.

"I can't believe _you_ did that," Zoro seethed.

"That's so nasty!" Luffy cried.

Usopp and Nami's good humor finally took over Emmy and she started to join in on the laughter as well.

"EMMY! Who's side are you on?!" Luffy demanded.

"I-I'm sorry," Emmy choked out as she continued to laugh, "It's just...too funny…But...we should really stop. We're making...a scene...And people are getting annoyed...And...and someone is feeling..."

The laughter trailed off in her voice and a confused look came over her face. The others were too busy laughing to notice the change in her demeanor and the blonde cook that was twirling over to them with a rose in his hands.

He knelt right by Nami and presented her with the blooming flower. "Oh, dear ocean. I thank you for today's encounter," he said.

Emmy had never felt that blend of emotions before so she didn't know how to put it into words. There was lust, plenty of it, actually. Emmy was not a stranger to lust since Delly's father was a man with over twenty wives. However, what the cook was feeling was a deviation from it. The lust was definitely there but it also had a playfulness to it and a gentle warmth. There was no hostility or negativity. She could only describe it as...pink...It just felt pink.

Despite this unknown emotion, Emmy knew without a shadow of a doubt what everyone else around the table was feeling - surprised, confused, and, specifically in Zoro's case, disgust.

"Oh, love! I can't bear this hardship. Go ahead and laugh at me!" Sanji said with the rose still held out to Nami, "I'm now prepared to be a lowly pirate or devil if I'm with you. However, how tragic it is. There's too great an obstacle between us."

"I...I have no idea what he's saying...Do you?" Emmy asked as she looked at the swordsman, the oldest member of the crew. She was completely bypassing her brother, who she knew was equally at a loss.

Zoro scowled. "It's plain idiocy, Emmy. Don't worry about it and whatever vibes you're getting from him, just think of that as foolishness. You're feeling like a fool."

"Oh...Okay," Emmy said with a nod.

"Who you calling a fool?!" Sanji snapped as he glared at Zoro.

"Oh. It seems you're getting along with these people," came a gruff voice and they turned to see the old chef leaning against the table next to them, "This is a good opportunity. Why don't you become a pirate with them?"

"Damn geezer," Sanji muttered to himself.

"You're no longer needed at this restaurant!" the old chef said.

"What?!" Sanji demanded, "I'm the Sous Chef here. What do you mean I'm no longer needed?"

"You cause so much trouble. You flare your nostrils the second you see a girl. You can't even cook a decent meal so you're dead weight to this restaurant," the old chef retorted, "That's what I mean."

"What did you say?!" Sanji growled as the cooks who were listening by the stairwell started to laugh, "If I keep quiet, you just shoot your damn mouth off, huh? You damn geezer!"

"You can say what you want but I'm not gonna let you trash my cooking! No matter what you say, I'll stay here as a cook!" Sanji seethed as he stormed over to Zeff and grabbed the owner by the collar, "That's the final word!"

"What's the meaning of you raising your hand at me?" the old chef demanded as he grabbed Sanji by the throat and flung him towards Emmy's table.

"Ah!"

Quick as the wind, Emmy picked up all the plates of food, balancing it on her hands, her arms, and even the bowl of soup on her head, just as Sanji came crashing through.

"Wooo...Good reflexes," Usopp marvelled as he and Nami clapped in approval.

"Please move to the other table," Emmy requested and the pirates diligently did so, leaving Sanji still stewing on the floor.

"No matter how hard you try to kick me out," he shouted at the old man as the chef started to make his way back into the kitchen, "I'll continue to work here as a cook until you die!"

"I won't die. I'll live 100 more years!" the old man replied without even glancing back at Sanji.

"Hey! You got permission!" Luffy cheered giving Sanji a celebratory pat on the shoulder, "Now you can become a pirate!"

"No way!" Sanji cried as he got to his feet. He growled at the space that the old chef had preoccupied just moments ago and then his attention fell on Emmy and her table of friends.

His stance relaxed and he disappeared out of the room. Within a minute, he came back with mugs of hot tea, a bottle of wine, and a large glass of colorful fruit slices. He hastily slammed the mugs of tea in front of Zoro and Usopp. Then he placed the fruit slices in front of Nami while filling her empty wine glass, "I'd like to make up for my brutish behavior by serving you fruit macedonia, my princess."

"Foolishness?" Emmy asked quietly as she stood next to the swordsman.

"Ah. Foolishness," Zoro agreed.

"Wow! Thank you! You're so kind!" Nami said happily while Usopp glared at Sanji from his seat.

"Where's _our_ apology?!" the sniper snapped, "I'll sue you for discrimination, you creep!"

"You got tea," Sanji said without hesitation and without taking his eyes off the navigator.

"You know, the food you have here is delicious," Nami said. Her voice turned coy and breathy. She batted her eyelashes up at the blonde cook and crooked her finger just below his chin, giving his skin a gentle brush of her own, "But…"

"But..?" Sanji asked, leaning a bit closer to the navigator. The pink within him swelled to monstrous heights and Emmy instinctively moved even closer to the swordsman. His disapproval and annoyance was a sobering anchor for her.

Emmy bit her lip and she looked over at Zoro, expecting him to be glaring back at her for the cause of this irrational behavior. "Zoro...I'm not doing that. At least...I don't think I am."

"I know," the swordsman said as he casually drank his tea.

"But...Sanji-san...his eyes have turned into hearts..." Emmy whispered.

"Foolishness, Emmy," Zoro reaffirmed, "That's the tell-tale sign of a fool."

"Okay."

Nami stroked the cook's face, ignoring the first mate and swordsman, and she pouted her lips at the cook. "But the food seems a bit expensive for me."

"Of course, it's free!" Sanji cooed and Nami wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Thank you!" she rejoiced and released him from her hug.

As soon as she broke eye contact, Sanji's gaze met Zoro's and the pink hearts in his eyes popped away. He straightened up and glared at the green haired boy. "You two have to pay though."

"You're too predictable," Zoro snapped while Luffy laughed from the sidelines.

_Thwack!_

"What are you just sitting around doing nothing for?!" Sanji roared as he gave the rubber boy a swift kick in the head, "Go get some warm toilettes for the customers!"

"Yes, sir," Luffy said in a daze as Sanji dragged him to the back of the room.

"Ah! The customers," Emmy said snapping to attention. She stood up a little straighter and then bowed to her friends, "Please wave me over if there's anything else you'll be needing. Enjoy your meal!"

"Work hard, Emmy!" Usopp cheered as the first mate headed towards the other tables in her section.

"Oy! Emmy!" Zoro called out before she got too far away and she turned to look at him.

"Yes, Zoro?" she asked, "Did you need something?"

Zoro nodded. "I need you to never do what Nami just did."

Emmy blinked and stared curiously at Zoro. "What did she do?"

That seemed to satisfy the swordsman and he went back to his food. "Good...That's all. Thanks, Emmy."

Emmy bowed her head and she scurried away. Nami raised an eyebrow at the swordsman and she stabbed a piece of lobster with her fork. "What's so bad with what I just did?" she huffed.

"Do what you gotta do," Zoro said, "Just don't be a bad influence on Emmy. She might be the first mate but she's still a kid."

"I agree," Usopp said.

"Why are _you_ weighing in on this, Usopp?" Nami asked.

Usopp shrugged. "Luffy told me to look out for her last night when I was on night watch."

The navigator took a moment to let that sink in and she leaned back in her seat. "He told me that too," Nami said in slight surprise, "Right before we woke you guys up...you know after that fight with Buggy, Zoro? Luffy said since I'm a girl, I should help her out with 'girl stuff'."

"Same. Although, obviously not girl stuff. More like, keep her away from danger," Zoro added and then all three of their heads shifted to Emmy, who was busy taking an order from a couple by the window.

"Okay. Seriously, if Luffy is that concerned about her, why do you think he's taking her along with him?" Usopp hissed, "That's like me bringing Kaya. Sure, I'd really want her to be with us but I know it's too dangerous for her."

"Isn't it obvious?" Nami replied and casted a glance at Emmy to make sure she was not within earshot of their conversation, "I've only seen Luffy get serious quickly about two things. His hat and her. They are his treasures that he can't possibly leave behind."

Zoro shrugged. "It doesn't matter. She's here and we all agreed to whatever we've agreed to Luffy. Facts are facts. No need to make it a big deal."

Usopp and Nami nodded. "Yeah. Okay."

* * *

The day came and went, along with the customers, followed by another day and then another. Soon, the Going Merry found herself tied and anchored right by the restaurant for four days straight while she waited for her captain and first mate to finish their 6 month sentence. Every morning, Luffy and Emmy would wake up at the crack of dawn to help the restaurant prep for service and they wouldn't return until well past midnight.

Every night, Sanji would smoke his last cigarette at the window of his room and watch the pair leave their shift, fully expecting them to make a run for it, only to be surprised in the morning to see them walking back with a shared grin on their faces. They were in interesting pair, that was for sure.

Of course the cook did not buy for a minute that they were brother and sister. It wasn't just their physical appearance but their demeanor and how they carried themselves showed vastly different upbringings. The girl's posture was ramrod straight and the way she talked to the customers showed that she was used to being around the upper class. She was so good as a waitress, after the first day, Sanji had returned back to his sous chef duties, only checking in on the front of house from time to time to make sure no one was causing any trouble. They even gave her the title of hostess.

The boy, on the other hand, had his responsibilities cut down to just one task - taking out the trash. That was the only thing in the restaurant he could break. He was sloppy, too carefree to hold any type of responsibility, and marched to the beat of his own drums.

It was clear that either their parents were bipolar or the "siblings" were raised in two completely different environments. They were from two different worlds yet somehow they shared the same smile and the same goal.

 _To share and pursue your foolish dream with someone,_ Sanji thought to himself as he puffed on the last of his cigarette, _That must be nice._


	21. I am Not a Hostage.

_Crash!_

"Miss? Is everything okay?" Emmy asked as she hurried over to a woman who had just dropped her wine glass.

The Baratie had just started lunch service for Emmy and Luffy's fourth day of work. Emmy rushed over to a small table by the window near the front door. A well dressed couple were seated there and they were enjoying a nice meal together until something startled the woman so much that her drink had slipped from her fingers.

"Is there something wrong?" Emmy asked.

"L-L-Look!" the woman whispered as she pointed out the glass, not able to move her neck or eyes an inch away from the view.

It was a very foggy day at sea so it took awhile for Emmy to see what had caught the woman's attention and made her so terribly frightened. Emmy could feel the fear around the room rise as well and she shivered while looking for what it was that had caused this panic.

Finally, her eye locked on the silhouette of a large galleon sailing their way. The fog started to get thinner and soon she could see the jolly roger painted on the black sails. _An hourglass...on each side of the skull...Like a countdown to its enemies...It's Don Krieg!_

She felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned to see Sanji peering out the window next to her, with his cigarette stuck firmly between his pursed lips. "Go to the back, Emmy-chan. I'll take over the front of house from here."

"But-," Emmy started to protest.

"That's an order," Sanji stated, not tearing his eyes from the ship.

"Oh...Okay…" Emmy said hesitantly. She turned towards the back and then was surprised to find that all the cooks had come out of the kitchen and lined up against the stairwell to get a look themselves. The owner, Chef Zeff, seemed to be the only staff member missing. Even Luffy was crouched at the top of the stairs, trying to get a peek at the commotion. He grinned when their eyes met and he waved her over.

The men were practically leaning over the railings to get a better view so it wasn't hard for Emmy to slip past them and up to the step where her brother was. She sat by his feet and they both peered through the bars in the railing to the floor below.

After a tense few minutes, the front door of the restaurant creaked open and Gin stood under the doorway with a large man leaning against his shoulder. His gray, almost purplish hair was cut short but he left his sideburns long. He wore a fur lined brown coat over his cheetah print button up and purple pants. He also had gauze wrapped around his head and he looked dead in the eyes.

 _So this is Don Krieg..._ Emmy thought to herself, _But...why is he so weak?_

"S-Sorry...Can I have some water and food?" Krieg asked weakly, "We have money...tons of money...I don't even remember the last time I ate. Please...give me some water...and food…"

Gin gritted his teeth and he got tenser and tenser with every plea his captain breathed out. The restaurant was too frightened and focused on this supposedly menacing pirate captain that no one seemed to notice Sanji turning brusquely on his heels and making his way to the back of the room, where the dumbwaiter was.

"C-C-Captain!" Gin cried as Don Krieg fell limply to the ground, "Please somebody help! He really hasn't eaten anything for days. He'll die if he doesn't eat!"

"Pwahahahah!" Patty laughed from the middle of the stairs, "This is good. It's a riot to see the infamous outlaw, Don Krieg, like this!"

"Hey! We have money this time!" Gin shouted, "We're customers!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Patty barked back, "Somebody. Contact the marines right away!"

"What?" Gin gasped.

"He's at his weakest right now. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity!" Patty shouted and the people around him started to murmur in agreement, "There's no need to feed him. No need to give the marines any resistance."

"He's right! We don't know what he'll do once his energy's back," one of the diners said.

"He's done so many terrible things. This is retribution for all the crimes he's committed. He deserves to starve," the diner's friend chimed in.

"There's no need to even give him a glass of water," one of the cooks added from the stairs, "Once he's back to normal, I'll bet he'll attack this restaurant straight away."

Emmy bit her lip and she glanced over her shoulder at Luffy. "What do you think they should do?"

Luffy shrugged. "Doesn't matter what I think."

"I won't...do anything…" Krieg gasped as he got into a grovelling position, "I promise...please...I'll take leftovers or anything…Anything..."

The sound of footsteps made Emmy glance away from the begging pirate and she let out a small smile when she saw Sanji make his way over to him with a giant metal bowl of fried rice.

"Oy...out of my way, Patty," he grumbled and with a smooth roundhouse kick, he sent his colleague toppling over the railing and crashing down to the floor below.

"S-Sanji-san!" Gin gasped as Sanji casually walked over to him and Krieg and placed the bowl of food in front of them.

"Here, Gin. Let him eat it," Sanji said.

"Thank you!" Krieg cried tearfully as he shovelled the food into his mouth.

A cook with rounded sunglasses and a blue ascot tied around his chef's coat came sprinting down the steps and over to Sanji. "Oy! Sanji! Do you realize what kind of man he is?!" the cook demanded, "He's not only known as the Ruler of the East Blue but also a foul player! The King of Deceptions. Even when he first started, he escaped prison by pretending to be a marine. He killed the marine in charge of the ship and took it over! That's how he declared himself as a pirate. Since then, he's attacked ports, towns, and other ships by hanging a marine flag. When attacking his enemies, he also hangs a white flag of surrender and then catches them by surprise. He does anything he can to win. That's how he got to where he is now!"

"Oh, so he plays dirty?" Luffy asked Emmy.

Emmy frowned. "I guess so. The articles I read with Dadan-san were after he had already established his fleet...But I know that his real strength is overwhelming as well. The newspaper has stated that he has weapons hidden all around his body and he even wears steel plated armor."

_Thwack!_

"EH?!" Luffy and Emmy's head shot over to Sanji, who had suddenly been clotheslined by the newly revived Don Krieg.

"What?!" Gin gasped, "That's...that's not what we agreed, Don Krieg! I brought you here under the condition that you wouldn't hurt the restaurant...And that man...that man saved our lives! Why are you attacking him?!"

Don Krieg grabbed his crew member by the shoulder and lifted him up to his feet, squeezing the muscle and making Gin groan in pain.

"GIN!"

"Yeah," Krieg said coldly and twisted his hand. At the sound of Gin's shoulder dislocating, Emmy instinctively jerked away from the railing and turned her head towards Luffy.

Without moving his gaze away from the scene below, Luffy covered the side of her head with his hand, pulling her closer to him so that her face was buried into the base of his neck. She could feel tension even from the pads of his fingers that were pressed against her hair. "You felt that?" he asked.

"No…" Emmy whispered, "The sound...It startled me. That's all."

"That was delicious. I feel alive again!" Emmy heard Krieg announce.

 _He did that...to his...nakama just...to show his strength?,_ Emmy thought as a cold feeling gripped her heart and she felt Luffy's beat fast in anger. Instantly, she knew her brother had thought the same thing.

"Stay here, Emmy," Luffy said. He didn't wait for her response, nor did he need to, and he got up to his feet. He marched down the steps while the room began to empty.

"AHHHHH!" the diners screamed as they raced out of the restaurant, "Run for your lives! Krieg is up!"

Krieg slowly scanned the room and a smirk grew on his thick lips. "This is a nice restaurant," he stated, "I'll take it!"

Sanji shakily got up to his elbows. Blood dripped down the corner of his lips and he glared at the pirate. "So...that's what you want."

"Don Krieg...this isn't what you promised!" Gin grunted from the floor.

"Gin! Are you alright?!" Luffy demanded.

Krieg did not share the same sentiment and he ignored his own crew member while pointing behind him, out the door, and towards the ship he had sailed in on. "My ship's a wreck so I've been wanting a new one. Once you do what I tell you, I'll have you get off of this ship and I'll take over. Right now, I have around a hundred subordinates on my ship. They're all starving and critically wounded. First, prepare 100 meals and water for them. There are some who've already starved to death so make it quick."

"Are you telling us to revive pirates that are gonna attack this ship?!" the cook in the rounded sunglasses demanded, "Of course we're going to refuse!"

Krieg scoffed. "Refuse? Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not placing an order. I'm giving you an order! It doesn't matter who you are... _Nobody_ disobeys my orders."

Emmy's back flattened straight up against the pillar that the stairs spiraled around. Her hands were in her apron pocket and her fingers clutched the deck of cards for security.

"S-Sanji-san…" Gin breathed, "I'm..so sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen."

"Look what you did, you son of a bitch!" Patty yelled at Sanji from the bottom of the steps.

Sanji got up to his feet and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Then he headed back up the stairs.

"Wait! Where are you going?!" Patty demanded.

Sanji wiped the blood from his face with his thumb and he nodded at Gin. "I'm going to go make 100 more meals."

"Sanji-san!" Emmy and Gin both gasped.

"Sanji?!" Luffy shouted out in surprise.

"WHAT?!" the cook cried out in unison.

"Right. That's how it should be," Krieg smirked.

Before Sanji could take any step further, he found thirty shovel-sized knives and forks pointed at his throat by his own colleagues.

"Who the hell do you think you are? Krieg's secret agent or something?" one of the cooks demanded, "We can't let you go into the kitchen! We're fed up with your crazy and reckless actions!"

Sanji took a drag of his cigarette and then blew it out his nose. "Go ahead," he said and then lifted his chin up higher to lengthen his neck, "If you want to stop me, go ahead and kill me then!"

"Sanji...san…" Emmy murmured.

"I know...I know that they're nothing but scum who aren't worth saving," Sanji stated, "But that doesn't matter to me. That doesn't matter! What happens after we feed them...it's too much of a bother to think abou. I'm a cook. No more no less. If there's someone who's hungry. I'll feed him. A cook should freely be able to feed anyone who's starving, don't you think?"

"STOP! Patty-san! STOP!"

The cook's all jerked back from their readied position and they stared up at the hostess, who was leaning so far over the banister that she was only a hair away from toppling down to the ground.

Sanji blinked and turned around to see Patty's fists just inches away from socking him in the middle of his back. "You…" Sanji growled.

"Don't speak up for him!" Patty snapped up at Emmy, "I've been turning a blind eye on his behavior for far too long! He feeds customers that I drive away secretly from the back door. I won't say if he was right or wrong in those circumstances but this time, he's in the wrong!"

"But it's still his freedom to be whatever kind of cook he wants to be!" Emmy protested, "Just like it's your right to put paying customers first! If you want to stop Don Krieg, then stop Don Krieg. There's no reason to lay a hand on Sanji-san! He's not the enemy! He's a cook. Just like you!"

Patty scowled, his eyes staring into Emmy's unblinking blue ones. Then he straightened the ascot around his neck and he walked to the back cupboard of the room. "I'll protect this restaurant then. Even if it's Don Krieg, what can he do against us?"

Emmy let out a small sigh of relief as she pulled herself back onto the stairs. She smoothed out her dress and apron and then she caught her brother grinning at her.

Patty rummaged through the shelves until he pulled out a large object that was wrapped in white linen. "This is a sea restaurant where pirates come and go every day. We're fully prepared to serve any type of customer! Are you full now, Krieg-san? After the main course, how about a piece of iron dessert?!"

He pulled back the linen, revealing a handheld cannon shaped and painted like a shrimp and he shot it right at Don Krieg. "Meat Ball of Doom!"

"Son of a…" Krieg growled.

It blasted right into Don Krieg's chest. Smoke and debris engulfed the entire room and shot through both the front and back doors. Emmy coughed and pressed her arm over her nose and mouth to stop herself from inhaling too much of the polluted air. She couldn't even see past Luffy. It took a good minute for the smoke to start clearing out and when it did, Emmy saw that Patty stood victoriously with the smoking gun in his hand.

"I might've broken the doors. Owner's gonna yell at me again," he grunted.

"It couldn't be helped," Sanji said, "You did it to protect the restaurant."

"Looks like they got on the same page pretty fast," Emmy murmured to herself.

"That tasted awful, you lame cook!"

Emmy's eyes widened as the smoke cleared entirely and revealed a still standing Don Krieg. He not only was unscathed, his fur cloak was gone, revealing his entire steel armored suit with guns armed and ready at his shoulders and hips.

"This is the lousiest restaurant I've ever been to!" Don Krieg roared as he started to fire all of his guns, including two that he held in each hand, "You're all damn annoying!"

"AH!" the cooks shouted as they ducked behind tables and chairs before they became riddled with bullets.

"Don't defy me!" Krieg warned once again and he pulled off his gloves, revealing diamond covered fists, "I am the strongest! A wootz steel-made body that is harder than anybody, a diamond fist that can destroy anything...I have all sorts of weapons built into my body...a 50-ship large fleet and a pirate force of 5,000! I've won all battles in the past! I am the fit to be called Don! When I give you an order, I expect you to follow it! I demand absolute obedience!"

"Absolute...obedience…" Emmy whispered.

"Excuse me, little girl," came Chef Zeff's gruff voice as he emerged on to the top of the stairs.

"Zeff-san…" Emmy whispered, eyeing the large sack slung over his shoulder. The sack was too large to get past her even if she flattened herself against the wall so she had no choice but to hurry down the stairs along with the rest of the cooks still standing to let the owner pass.

"Here," Chef Zeff said as he placed the sack in front of Don Krieg, "Here is about 100 meals. Bring it to your men."

"WHAT?! Owner Zeff?!" the cooks cried.

To Emmy's surprise, Krieg's eyes practically bugged out of his socket at the sight of the owner and his jaw dropped. Sweat beaded around his forehead, dripping through the gauze around his head, and he gulped. "Z-Z-Zeff?!" he gasped, "You must be...Red Foot Zeff! I can't believe you're alive. The notorious pirate captain that was also an accomplished cook?"

"So what if I'm alive?" Zeff calmly asked back, "It has nothing to do with you. As you can see, I live as a cook now."

Krieg's eyes went to Zeff's peg leg. Then he threw back his head and laughed. "If you put it that way, it sounds nice. Although, from the way I see it, it's not that you'd rather live life as a cook now but that you can live _only_ as a cook!"

He sneered at the old chef. "'Red Foot' Zeff was a master of kicks, who never used his hands in battle. I hear that his strong legs crushed bedrock and even left footprint in steel. The nickname 'Red Foot' referred to your shoes, which were covered in the blood that splattered when you kicked down your enemies….I've heard rumors...how unlucky for you to have an accident at sea...to you, losing one of your legs must mean you are unable to fight."

Being back on the lower deck, Emmy was only at arm's length away from Sanji and she felt a pang of guilt rise within him. She stared at the back of the blonde's head. _He feels...responsible for Zeff-san's leg?_

"What about fighting?" Zeff grunted back, "I can cook without a leg as long as I have these hands. What're you trying to say? Just come right out and say it! I dislike it when people don't talk candidly."

Krieg smiled maliciously. "'Red Foot' Zeff. You're the man who once entered the Grand Line and came back unhurt. There should be a logbook with the full year of your journey chronicled in it. Give that to me!"

"Whoa! You've been to the Grand Line, too, pops?!" Luffy asked excitedly.

"Yeah," Zeff said, nonchalantly, and then he frowned at Krieg, "My logbook, huh? Indeed, I have it with me...but I can't give it to you. The logbook is the pride of all the crewmen that I travelled with. It's too important to give it to you."

"Then...I'll just take it from you by force!" Krieg announced, "It may be true that I was defeated in the Grand Line but I am still the strongest! I had enough power, force, and ambition! The one thing I lacked was information. I just didn't know things. If I have your logbook, I'll be able to conquer the Grand Line!"

"Wooo...the logbook sounds important," Luffy whistled, "Emmy...maybe we should have one."

"We _do_ have one," Emmy whispered, "Remember? Nami-san and Usopp started one after we left his village? Zoro and I have been trying to fill in the stuff that happened before they came along...but..I think I'm missing a lot of details about your fight with Morgan."

"Shishishishi. Don't worry about it. Just write 'Luffy and Zoro kicked his ass'," Luffy grinned.

Emmy nodded. "That's what I thought you'd say so I did. I also wrote that for your fight with Alvida-san."

"Who?"

"You called her Chunkvida."

"Oh yeah, her."

"Are you two really the captain and the first mate?!" Sanji snapped at the pair.

"With that logbook," Krieg shouted victoriously, "I'll be able to get reform a large pirate fleet and seize the One Piece! Then, I'll stand on top in this Great Pirate Era!'

Luffy tilted his hat over his eyes and he walked swiftly towards the front of the room. He pointed a finger right at Krieg and placed a hand on his apron covered waist. "Hold it right there! _I'm_ the one who's gonna be the King of Pirates!"

"Busboy?!" the cooks gasped.

"Oy! Back off! You'll get yourself killed!" Patty cried.

Luffy grinned. "I can't back off on this."

"Emmy-chan! Aren't you going to stop your brother?" Sanji asked the level headed one of the two Monkeys.

Emmy shook her head and she smiled at the back of her brother's head. "Why? He didn't say anything wrong."

"This isn't a game, kid," Krieg snarled.

"Of course not," Luffy replied, "I'll conquer the Grand Line."

"It's no joke, you stupid kid!" Krieg snapped, bunching his hand into a fist, "It's true that we didn't have information but a fleet of 5,000 men wiped out in just seven days...that's a devilish sea! There's no way someone like you can survive!"

"S-S-Seven days?!" Patty and the cooks cried.

Luffy turned his head and beamed proudly at his sister. "And you lasted over 10 years just on your own! See? You're really strong, Emmy!"

"Eh?!" Emmy protested, ignoring the shocked looks coming from all around her, including the Don himself, "B-b-but I wasn't completely on my own and I wasn't a pirate. I was-"

Krieg's eyes narrowed at Emmy. "A kid like you...more than a decade on the Grand Line...must mean you've lived there most of your life."

He grinned. "I've decided. I'll be taking her and the logbook too."

"What?!"

Luffy smoothly shifted so that he stood directly in between Krieg and Emmy. He grinned and started to wind up his arm. "Go ahead if you can."

Krieg locked eyes with the boy and he readied his guns. "As you wish, I'll send you to the netherworld."

"Gonna fight, Luffy? Need a hand?"

Emmy whirled around and saw that Zoro and Usopp were standing at the top of the stairs. Zoro had his white katana at the ready while Usopp's knees were knocking together.

"If...If...If...you don't need help, feel free to say so!" Usopp called out.

"Zoro! Usopp!" Emmy exclaimed.

"Eh? Don't worry, Just watch from there," Luffy said with a grin and still loosening up his arm.

"W-w-w-well, if you insist!" Usopp stammered, "Can't be helped...Wh-wh-what can we do?"

Zoro scowled and knocked Usopp to the ground with just a slight push of his hand.

"What'd you do that for, Zoro?!" Usopp seethed.

"Get a grip, Usopp!" Zoro said and then he pointed a finger down at Emmy, "And you, get up here before you get into another hostage situation again."

"I am not a hostage," Emmy huffed, "I'm the hostess for the front of house."

Krieg let out a short burst of laughter. "Pwahahaha. Are they your crewmembers? A rather small bunch, aren't they?"

"What are you talking about?" Luffy said indignantly, "There's two more!"

"Oy! You counted me again, didn't you?!" Sanji shouted from the sidelines.

Krieg's eyes moved to Zeff, who stood unmoving and calm since he first entered the room. Krieg lowered his guns and he snorted. "I'll go feed my underlings. Those who don't want to die can abandon the restaurant and escape. All I'm after are the logbook, the girl, and this ship. If any of you still feel like dying after I warned you, then so be it! I'll bury you to the bottom of the sea."

He flung the sack of food over his shoulder and carried it out to his ship, leaving a wounded Gin in the restaurant.


	22. I am More Worried About Dinner Service.

Although Don Krieg was gone, the tension in the restaurant was still very high. The cooks exchanged worried and fearful looks as they all decided what their next steps should be. Should they flee or should they fight?

The only ones who seemed unfazed by this temporary standstill was the owner, the sous chef, the busboy, and the busboy's nakama. Even the underling of Don Krieg was trembling...but not because of fear. He was trembling out of pain and guilt.

"I'm...sorry, Sanji-san. I never imagined this would happen," Gin grunted.

"That's not something you should apologize for, underling," Zeff said, surprising everyone by his weigh in, "Each cook at this restaurant acted out of their own free will and this is the result of that."

"Owner! Why are you acting as if you're taking Sanji's side?!" Patty protested and the cooks behind him nodded in agreement.

"He's going to put your precious restaurant out of business, sir!" another cook added.

For the first time in the four days Emmy had interacted with the owner, she felt genuine anger burn within him.

"SILENCE, YOU NUMBSKULLS!" Zeff bellowed to his staff.

"Eh?" The cooks were stunned at the owner's outburst. After all, he had never taken Sanji's side before so why was he doing so now? And so passionately too.

"Have you felt what it's like to be on the brink of starvation?!" Zeff demanded, "Losing food and water on this grand ocean...Do you know how terrifying and painful that is? To be stuck in this ocean, deprived of food and water?"

"Wha..what do you mean, sir?" Patty asked.

"The difference between Sanji and you all is whether you know it or not," Zeff said.

"Know what?" some of the cooks murmured to each other.

Emmy shook her head at the clueless sea cooks. Of all people, they should know. They should be the most understanding towards those who are in desperate need of nourishment.

Zeff shared her sentiment and he sighed with disappointment before raising his hand. "If any of you still don't understand the difference, just leave the restaurant from the back door already! I don't have the time or the patience for a lecture so just go before Don Krieg comes back!"

The mention of the looming threat snapped everyone's attention back to the current circumstances. Patty grabbed a large fork and he tightened his grip around the wooden handle. "I'm going to stay and fight!" he announced, "I couldn't live with myself if I just left without a fight."

"I'll stay too! This is the restaurant where I work!"

"We don't have anywhere else to go!"

One by one, the cooks started to pick back up their weapons. Even though they didn't seem to understand Sanji's actions, Emmy was happy that they had decided to stay and , Gin was not too thrilled by it.

"What do you think you're doing?!" he demanded, "You saw how powerful Don is, right?! You all need to run away!"

"Oy...Gin," Sanji said as he got to his feet and dusted off his pants. He kicked up a fallen table, sending it somersaulting in the air, before planting his heel right at the center of the surface and bringing it back down to a standing position, "Feeding those who are hungry may be my moral code but the ones attacking us will be plunderers with full bellies. You better not complain when i kill them. If someone's going to take this restaurant away from the old geezer, even if it's you, I'll kill them without hesitation! Got that?"

"Tch," Patty scoffed as Gin gulped at Sanji's warning, "Letting him live and now killing him? You're hopeless, Sanji."

"Shut up, you damn cook," Sanji said as he lit a new cigarette.

Luffy grinned and looked over at Zoro and Usopp while excitedly pointing a finger at the blond cook. "He's kinda cool, isn't he?"

"Who cares about him?" Usopp shrieked, "We gotta get out of here!"

"Calm down," Zoro said, "Even if it's Krieg, he's still very injured and so are his men."

Emmy smoothed out her apron and clasped her hands in front of it. "Luffy and I are in the middle of making amends to Zeff-san for damaging his ship. We have to stay and make sure the restaurant does not get harmed any more. This is not a fight we can turn our backs on."

"That's right. I have to fight that guy anyways. If he truly is the strongest in the East Blue, then he and I are going to butt heads anyways," Luffy said as he rubbed the bottom of his nose with his finger.

"B-But didn't he say he was going to come grab you when he comes back?!" Usopp pressed, "Emmy! You're in more danger than the ship. He's not going to destroy a ship he plans on taking."

"LIke I said," Luffy interjected and he grinned at his sister, "If he truly is the strongest in the East Blue, then he and I are going to fight. I'm the man who will become the King of Pirates. If I can't even protect Emmy from a guy like that, I shouldn't even bother stepping foot in the Grand Line. I should just die right here."

A thought came to Luffy and he turned his attention back to Gin. "Oy...Gin," he said with a frown, "I thought you said you didn't know anything about the Grand Line but you've been there! Why'd you lie?"

"It's still true that I don't know," Gin admitted, "I'm not entirely sure what happened on our 7th day at sea. I don't know if it was a dream or reality...I still haven't been able to come to terms with it..It's too terrifying to believe it's real. I still can't believe that the 50-ship fleet was wiped out entirely by only one man!"

"WHAT?!" the entire restaurant screamed with Usopp's voice being the highest and loudest.

"One...man?!" Emmy breathed.

Gin nodded. "As soon as that man appeared, he sank the ships one after another. If we hadn't been lucky enough to have that storm then, our main ship would've been completely destroyed as well….I don't know how many ships we have left. It was just so dreadful that I don't want to accept it as reality. I don't want to remember...that man's...sharp, hawk-like eyes whose glare alone gives one the chill of death."

"HUH?!"

Emmy felt Zoro's astonishment even before he reached out to grip the side of the banister and leaned over to hear Gin better. She blinked up at the swordsman. "Zoro…? Was the man that you went out to sea for...Hawk Eyes-san?"

Zoro nodded as he gripped the edge of the banister. "Ah…I went to sea to meet him."

"Hrmmm," Zeff said, "Just feeling his hawk like eyes isn't proof in and of itself that you faced him, Gin, but what this man did to Krieg and his fleet is enough proof that it's him."

"Isn't it possible that the man had some deep grudge towards you guys?" Sanji asked.

"We never did anything to him!" Gin insisted.

"Maybe you guys disturbed his nap or something…" Zeff suggested.

"Don't be ridiculous! I'll be damned if he crushed our fleet for such a reason!" Gin shouted.

Zeff chuckled. "Don't get so worked up. I'm just giving an example of what kind of place the Grand Line is. Isn't that right, little girl?"

Emmy nodded. "On the Grand Line, people have killed and are killed for no reason at all. You might find it ridiculous, Gin-san, but that really does show you know nothing of the Grand Line."

Usopp's face went pale and a bead of sweat rolled down his cheek. "What the heck kind of place is that?"

"It probably means that anything can happen," Zoro said, "But more importantly...what the hell kind of place did Emmy come out of?"

"Luffyyyy! Let's not go to a place like that!" Usopp wailed.

"AHHHH! It sounds so exciting!" Luffy cheered as he pumped up his fists, "That's how it should be! Right, Emmy?!"

"Ah," Emmy said with a smile, "It's as Zoro said. Anything can happen."

"You two need to get 'Danger' redefined in your heads!" Usopp shrieked as tears streamed down his cheeks.

"Whatever the case," Zoro said, "My goal is inextricably tied to the Grand Line since I'll be able to meet that man if I head that way."

"Are you guys stupid or something? Rushing to your deaths like that?" Sanji asked as he puffed on his smoke, "Guys like you die before anyone else."

"Yeah...but no need to call me 'stupid'," Zoro replied as he leaned against the back of the stairs and frowned at Sanji, "When I decided to become the world's strongest swordsman, I threw away my attachment to life. The only one who has the right to call me an idiot is me alone."

"AHHH! Me too! Me too!" Luffy cheered as he waved a hand in the air, "I'm putting my life on the line for my dream too! And so is Emmy!"

"Don't speak for Emmy-chan like that!" Sanji snapped.

"It's true, Sanji-san," Emmy replied, "My attachment to my life is frail at best. I'm not scared of death and if fulfilling my dream means facing it every day, then so be it."

Usopp forced a smile on his trembling face. "Me too! That's just natural for a man of the sea!"

That bold faced lie earned the sniper a knock on the head from the scabbard of Zoro's katanas. "Shut up. You're ruining the moment."

Sanji stared at them for a moment and then he frowned. "What nonsense," he muttered.

His statement made Emmy smile. His resolve was not as strong as earlier. You're a dreamer too, Sanji-san.

"Oy, you brats!" Patty shouted, "Do you kids even understand the current situation? Worry about surviving this life or death crisis first before talking about going to the Grand Line!"

"Crisis?" Emmy frowned, "Isn't that too strong of a word? It's more of...a...predicament?"

"It's an obstacle," Zoro said.

"A disaster!" Usopp cried.

"A meat rump!" Luffy shouted.

Emmy laughed. "You mean a speed bump."

"Yep that!"

"Oy! Why are you not more worried? Krieg specifically said he's coming after you!" Patty demanded at Emmy.

"He can try," Luffy grinned as Zoro flicked up one of his katanas so the top part of his blade gleamed underneath the restaurant light.

"I'll be fine," Emmy said and then casted her gaze around the restaurant, "I'm more worried that we'll cause unnecessary damage to the Baratie...especially so close to dinner service."

Patty was completely dumbfounded by these youngsters while Chef Zeff hid a chuckle behind his thick mustache. Too many pirate groups had come through his restaurant for Zeff to almost forget the romance and enchantment of being a pirate. Almost.

Seeing this new batch of pirates, though, made him renew his faith in the Great Pirate Era. "Monkey D. Luffy…" he muttered to himself and committing the name to memory, "Interesting kid…"

His good mood was cut short, however, when the ship began to tilt sharply to one side and then seesaw to the other. Tables and chairs slid from one wall to the other along with cooks who have lost their footing. Sounds of screaming and large objects falling into the water roared from outside the front door.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Luffy cried as he lengthened his arm to grab onto the railing on the stairs to steady himself while holding Emmy by the waist with his other hand, "What's going on?"

"Raise the anchor! Or we'll be swallowed along with the ship!" Zeff ordered one of his cooks.

Luffy quickly steadied himself and raced for the backdoor, pulling Emmy behind him. Zoro and Usopp both leapt over the bannister to follow their captain.

"This is bad!" the swordsman said, "Nami, Yosaku, and Johnny are still on our ship out there!"

They stopped in their tracks when they got outside and saw what had caused the turbulent waters.

"AHHHHH!" Usopp screamed at the sight of Don Krieg's galleon ship split cleanly in half and sinking into the water.

"Wait...where's...Merry-san?" Emmy gasped and the boys stiffened.

"It...it was right here! We tied it up right at the back door!" Zoro insisted as they stared out into nothing but open sea.

"Big Bro! Big Bro!"

Luffy and his group ran towards the railing and leaned over as far as they could. Yosaku and Johnny were swimming hastily towards the Baratie.

"Johnny! Yosaku!" Luffy yelled, "Are you alright?!"

"Where's the ship and what happened to Nami?! Why isn't she with you?!" Zoro demanded.

"I'm...I'm sorry. Big Bro! She's gone!" Yosaku cried.

"WHAT?!"

"Big..Sis...Nami…," Johnny sobbed, "She took all the treasure and rushed off with the ship."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Usopp, Zoro, and Luffy snapped while Emmy took a step back from the railings.

Nami-san...have you returned to your master? Did you do this out of your will or his? Are you okay…?

She felt the anger, surprise, and hurt rise from all three of her nakama and she took a deep breath. She wasn't going to comfort them though. Instead, she gave them all a heavy Fist of Love.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

"Ow! What was that for, Emmy?" Luffy demanded while clutching the lump on his head.

"Get them out of the water," Emmy said softly as she smoothed out her apron and frowned, "And don't think the worst of Nami-san. She must have her reasons."

"Yeah," Zoro grunted, "She's a conniving, little-"

"Zoro!" Emmy said sharply, "What did I just say?"

"You didn't trust her when you first met her!" Zoro shouted, "Are you telling me you trust her now? Especially after this?!"

"Yes! I do," Emmy replied, her tone angrier and shriller than both the swordsman or the sniper had ever heard her take, "You don't understand, Zoro! She's like me!"

"She's nothing like you!" Zoro barked, "You two are complete opposites! There's not one thing that you two share!"

"You're wrong!" Emmy insisted, "She's not free! She has chains! You might not see it but it's there. She's just like me. We're both sla-"

"Zoro! Usopp! Get Yosaku and Johnny out of the water!" Luffy ordered suddenly. His eyes never moving from his sister, who looked back at him in surprise, "Ask them about Nami."

It took a second for Zoro and Usopp to wrap their heads around the captain's interjection. They stared at his solemn expression before exchanging a confused look with each other. Then they hesitantly obeyed and pulled the two bounty hunters out of the water.

"Luffy…" Emmy whispered while her brother lowered his hat over his eyes.

"Okay! Talk!" Usopp demanded as soon as Johnny and Yosaku caught their breaths, "What happened to the Going Merry and Nami?"

"It...happened just a moment ago," Yosaku cried, "Big Sis Nami was staring intently at the bounty poster of the wanted fishman pirate, Arlong! I was telling her about how dangerous that man is and about his bounty of 20 million bellis when she told us to turn around as she wanted to change right on the deck. She started to undress so as gentlemen, we had no choice but to turn our backs to her. Once we did, she pushed us over the side of the ship!"

Johnny nodded tearfully. "She said...she said this was all just a business transaction. Since she was a thief that stole from pirates, she was stealing the ship. She said...she had fun with you guys while it lasted and...that if you all were linked by fate, you would all meet again."

"Damn it! That little-" Zoro started to snarl but Luffy's chuckle broke up his sentence.

"Shishishishi. Didja hear that, Emmy?" Luffy laughed.

Emmy smiled and nodded. "En. She said she had fun with us."

"How could you two be so happy?!" Usopp seethed, "She took the ship that Kaya gave us!"

"We'll get it back," Emmy replied, "Along with Nami-san."

"HOW?!" Usopp shouted, "She's long gone by now!"

"No! I can still see it!" Luffy yelled as he shielded his eyes from the sun, "I can still see the Going Merry!"

He brought his hands down and turned to his nakama. "Zoro! Usopp! Leave right away! Take Johnny and Yosaku's ship and follow Nami!"

Zoro scoffed. "Just let her take the ship. We don't need her anyways."

"I won't accept anyone but her as our navigator!" Luffy insisted.

The swordsman narrowed his eyes at his captain, who shared his unmoving and determined gaze. Finally, Zoro sighed and put his hand to his head. "Fine," he grunted, "What a high-maintenance captain…Alright, Usopp..Let's go…Luffy, what about you and Emmy?"

"We can't go since we haven't settled anything at this restaurant," Luffy said as Usopp, Yosaku, and Johnny hurriedly got the boat ready.

"Be careful," Zoro warned, "The situation here isn't normal."

Luffy nodded. "Yah, I know."

Just then, Zoro's eyes caught something out in the distance and his back straightened up like he was jabbed in the back with a hot poker.

Emmy gasped as she felt Zoro's heartbeat quicken immensely and she followed his gaze. There was a small boat slowly floating towards them. It was not much bigger than the first one her and Luffy sailed on. On each side, it was flanked by two large burning candles. The flames were green and it gave the boat an eerie aura among the fog. At the center of the boat sat a man. The ornate wooden throne he sat in took up most of the ship but it was not as eye catching as the large cross that stood at the back of the chair.

"Zoro?" Luffy asked, noticing the tense expression on the swordsman's face, "Who's that?"

"The man I've been looking for…'Hawk-Eye' Mihawk! The world's strongest swordsman..."

"'Hawk-Eye' Mihawk," Luffy repeated as he took a good look at the man. He was a tall, lean man, with black hair, mustache, and beard. All his facial hair was trimmed neatly, even his sideburns. He wore a black hat on his head, an open floor length black coat with floral sleeves the color of a well-aged wine. He sat cross legged on his throne and his yellow, piercing hawk-eyes could be seen even at a great distance.

"So that's the man who destroyed Don Krieg's fleet," Emmy whispered as Zoro dove into the sea, to swim closer to his target, "The master swordsman…The Warlord..."

"Warlord?" Luffy frowned.

"I'll explain later…" Emmy said.

"Okay," Luffy replied. Then he reached over and took Emmy's hand into his, "Why didn't you tell me about, Nami?"

"I'm sorry," Emmy said softly. Both of their eyes were kept forward as Emmy gave his hand a little squeeze, "I didn't mean to keep anything from you. It just wasn't my secret to tell…I was waiting for Nami-san to trust us enough to tell us on her own."

There was a brief silence before Emmy tore her gaze away the sea and looked contemplatively at her brother. "That's why you stopped me from telling Zoro and Usopp just now, yes? You wanted me to tell them on my own terms?"

Luffy tilted his hat a little bit further over his eyes while he kept his hand tightly around Emmy's. "You don't have to tell them at all. The past doesn't matter."

"Okay."

"You are Monkey D. Emmy. Nothing's going to change that. Not while I'm around."

"I know."


	23. I am the Front of the House.

"What?! No way!" Emmy gasped and took a step closer to Luffy as they watched Zoro fight Mihawk head on.

The green haired swordsman had all three of his katanas crossed and ready to splice Hawk Eyes into several pieces. Yet, his attack was stopped by just one of Mihawk's blade. It was a small blade too. No bigger than a small fruit knife. Even Luffy was taken by surprise but he remained silent while Zoro's two bounty hunter friends took a different approach.

"WHA?! Big Bro's Oni Giri was stopped?!" they exclaimed.

Emmy watched as Zoro launched attack after attack only to have his blades easily deflected by the puny one in Mihawk's hand. The two swordsmen were battling it out on the broken deck of Don Krieg's galleon. The sounds of metal clashing rang through the air. No one made a sound. Pirates, cooks, and bounty hunters alike were captivated by this intense battle. Emmy couldn't even breathe let alone blink, in fear that at any second, she would miss a key moment.

Zoro is so strong...yet...How is the distance between him and Mihawk-san that great?!, Emmy thought in alarm, Zoro is breaking into sweat and he running out of breath...Yet...Mihawk-san is perfectly fine.

"What do you bear on your shoulders?" Mihawk asked, "What do you desire once you've obtained power, weak one?"

"Who you calling a weak one?!" Yosaku seethed, indignant on Zoro's behalf. Beside him, Johnny stepped forward with his weapon in hand.

"I'll teach you a lesson! He is-"

"STOP IT! Yosaku! Johnny! Don't intervene!" Luffy shouted, shooting out his hands and grabbing both of them back before they could make another move. He pushed their heads down as if he was Emmy, making them atone for something.

"BE PATIENT!" Luffy hissed through gritted teeth.

"Luffy," Emmy murmured, feeling his restlessness and agitation stirring.

This was just like Zoro's battle with Buggy's acrobatic swordsman. It was a fight she and Luffy had no business interfering with, despite their better judgement to do so. If they got involved, it would trample all over Zoro's ambition and pride and the swordsman had made it perfectly clear he would rather die than to have that happen. However, it was taking every fiber of Emmy's being to keep her from rushing to his aid and she knew her brother was feeling the same.

"Damn it…" Zoro growled, "I CAN'T LOSE!"

He crossed the blades his hands with the sword in his mouth. "Tiger...Trap!"

He lunged forward but he didn't even make it three steps when he found Mihawk's blade plunged right into his heart. Blood trickled out of Zoro's mouth, over the hilt of his blade, and down his neck. Yet the green haired swordsman refused to withdraw.

"Are you just going to let me pierce your heart?" Mihawk asked.

"I don't know why but...I feel like if I withdraw even one step, those pledges and promises I made in the past will be shattered and I won't be able to come back to where I am now…" Zoro replied.

"Yes...that's what defeat is all about," Mihawk agreed.

Zoro smirked despite the excruciating pain he was in. "Then, all the more reason I can't withdraw."

"Even if you die?"

"I'd rather die."

Mihawk took a step back, pulling his blade out of Zoro's chest. Then he sheathed it and hung it back around his neck. "Kid. State your name."

Zoro re-raised his swords. "Roronoa Zoro!"

Mihawk reached behind him and dragged his sword out of its place behind his seat, revealing a blade as black as night. He pointed it at the green haired swordsman. "I'll remember it. I haven't seen anyone like you in a while, strong one. Thus...as a swordsman's courtesy, I'll sink you using the world's strongest black sword."

"I appreciate it," Zoro said as the two swordsman charged at each other, "Three Sword Style Secret Technique!"

"Big Bro! That's enough! Please stop!" Johnny pleaded.

"FALL!" Mihawk shouted, swinging his blackened blade.

"Three Thousand Wo-," Zoro started to say.

Shing! Shing! Shing!

Emmy stifled a scream as she watched her nakama fall to his knees with two of his blades shattering into multiple pieces, like they were made of glass and not cold, hard steel.

Zoro is putting his life on the line. I cannot interfere, Emmy thought as her nails dug into the palms of her own hands, drawing blood from the delicate skin, while Zoro got up to his feet, held out his arms, and exposed his entire front to Mihawk.

"What are you…" Mihawk asked.

Zoro grinned. "Scars on the back are a swordsman's shame."

Mihawk nodded in approval. "Admirable," he said and swung his sword down for one final blow. Blood sprayed out in every direction like red, liquid fireworks as the blade cut the swordsman from his shoulder to his waist.

"ZORO!" Luffy finally exclaimed, signalling the end of the battle.

Emmy inhaled a sharp breath and tore her headband off her head. She squeezed her eyes shut and willed herself to just focus on Zoro, remembering his dominating presence of pride and honor. Please be alive. Please be alive. Please be alive.

She flinched at the burning rage within her brother, the horror and terror flaring out from the other bystanders, but she pushed herself to sense beyond that. She ignored everything. There was no time for that.

Zoro had no time for that.

Please be alive. Please be alive. Please be alive.

Badump!

Emmy's eyes snapped open when she felt the faintly beating heart of Zoro and the searing pain of his cuts just as he fell into the seawater, cutting his ties with Emmy.

"BIG BRO!" Johnny and Yosaku cried.

Emmy shoved her headband back on her head and rushed towards the bounty hunters' boat, dragging them by the collar with her. "Come on! Let's go!"

"What?" Usopp's eyes were still glued onto where Zoro once stood.

Thwack!

A harsh slap in the face knocked the sniper back to reality and he blinked back at the first mate.

"Usopp! He's alive!" Emmy shouted, "But we need to get him out of the water or else we're going to lose him, Nami-san, AND Merry-san!"

The sniper gulped and quickly paddled the boat over to the part of the sea that was starting to turn slightly red from Zoro's blood.

"Damn it. Damn it. Damn it!" Luffy roared as he pounded the railing with his fist, not catching a word Emmy just said. He swung his fist all the way over to the galleon, grabbing onto a plank and launched himself towards the standing swordsman. Mihawk smoothly stepped out of the way and Luffy crashed head first into the wood.

"You bastard!" Luffy raged as he pulled himself out.

"Don't worry...I didn't kill that man," Mihawk said as Usopp, Yosaku, and Johnny pulled him out of the water.

"Eh?" Luffy asked.

"YOU WERE RIGHT, EMMY! He's alive!" Usopp shouted with relief from the boat, "Zoro's unconscious but alive!"

Emmy moved her hands to tear away her headband but just as she did so, Zoro's wet hand shot up and caught her by the wrist. "I...I thought I told you…" he growled, "To never heal me."

"But Zoro, you're bleeding too much and-"

"DON'T HEAL ME, EMMY!" Zoro roared, "I'll be fine! Do not erase the traces of this battle! Johnny! Yosaku!"

"Y-Yes, Big Bro?!"

"You guys know first aid. Hurry up and sew me up."

"Zoro!" Emmy said, "You know I can do that. I'll-"

"Emmy! Go back to the Baratie and stay with Luffy. You have no damn business being on this boat with us," Zoro snapped, "And stop worrying about me. I'm not going to die. I refuse to die from this."

From the broken galleon, Mihawk walked towards the edge of the broken deck. "That's right. It's too early for you to die!" he shouted out to his defeated opponent, "My name is Dracule Mihawk! Learn about yourself. Learn about the world. No matter how many years it takes, I will hold this seat of the strongest and wait for you. Try to surpass me, Roronoa Zoro!"

Luffy sank to his knees and he let out a relieved smile.

"Kid, what is your goal?" Mihawk asked as he turned to Luffy.

"King of Pirates," Luffy said without hesitation.

Mihawk smirked. "It'll be even harder than surpassing me."

"How would I know when I haven't done it yet?" Luffy said and stuck his tongue out at Mihawk.

Mihawk's yellow eyes flashed towards the girl in the apron for just a second before it returned to the rubber boy. "If she is who I think she is, then the difficulties you'll face will far surpass others who pursue the same path."

"She's my sister," Luffy stated, "That's all she is."

The only reaction Mihawk gave to that was a miniscule raise of an eyebrow.

Suddenly, Zoro raised his sword from his fallen position on the boat. "L-L-Luffy! Can you hear me?!"

"Ah!" Luffy answered.

"Y-Y...You need no less than the world's greatest swordsman, right?" Zoro asked as he coughed up blood and spat out the tears that dribbled down his eyes to his lips, "I...I will not be defeated ever again! Until the day I defeat him and become a master swordsman...I'll never...be defeated! Got any problems with that...KING OF PIRATES?!"

"Shishishishishi," Luffy laughed as he got to his feet, "Nope!"

Mihawk turned his back to the two and returned to his boat. "You're a good team. I want to see you guys again," he stated.

"Oy!" Don Krieg shouted out as he leapt onto the galleon, "Hawk-Eyes! Didn't you come to take my life? The life of the East Blue's ruler, Don Krieg?"

"I was going to, but I had enough fun. So I'm going home to get some rest," Mihawk said.

"You may have had enough but I'm tired of getting beaten," Don Krieg smirked as started to fire all his weapons at Mihawk. The galleon erupted into a cloud of debris, smoke, and bullets. Emmy couldn't even see or hear what was going on.

Suddenly, she saw Luffy's arm wrap around her waist and she was pulled back to the Baratie along with the rubber boy. They grabbed onto the railing of the upper deck and held themselves there directly in front of Chef Zeff and his staff of cooks. The owner seemed to be the only one who took the events in stride. Everyone else were pale in the face, including Sanji, but the rubber boy didn't care.

"Yosh!" Luffy said and turned to wave at his nakama, "Usopp! Go! I'll leave Zoro and Nami to you! Johnny! Yosaku! Patch up Zoro good!"

"Got it!" Usopp replied, "Zoro and I will bring Nami back for sure! Make sure you and Emmy get that cook to join us! When all six of us are reunited, let's go to the Grand Line."

"AH!" Luffy and Emmy shouted back in agreement.

Luffy peaked up and over the railing to look up at the old chef, who had been watching stoically the whole time on the upper deck with Sanji and the rest of the cooks. "Pops, can you let Emmy and I off the hook if we drive the pirates away?" he grinned.

"Suit yourself," Zeff said.

"Yosh!" Luffy cheered.

"You," Zeff said with an amused grin, "You said you were going to be the King of Pirates. Are you serious?"

"Of course! I'll definitely be the King of Pirates," Luffy replied.

The grin on Zeff turned into a wide smile. "I've come across tons of roughneck but you're the first one in a long time who said it so clearly."

"Shishishishi," Luffy laughed, "I heard that you were an incredibly strong pirate. Were you trying to be the King of Pirates too?"

Zeff snorted and he looked up at the seagulls flying overhead. "That was another life. I don't dwell on the past. I am the owner of a restaurant now and that's enough for me."

"Oy, you idiot! Why the hell are you dragging Emmy-chan into this? You should've had her leave with the others," Sanji lectured, "It's not safe here."

"Back off, ya damn brat. She's still a member of the staff and if she wants to stay and defend the ship, that's her right to," Zeff cut in and then he let out a small smile, "But I do request, little girl, that you avoid going into the front lines and stay in the back with me."

"Thank you, Zeff-san," Emmy said and then Luffy lowered her and him down to the deck below.

The ship started to tremble but the movements were so sharp and condensed that Emmy could tell that it was because of the ship itself and not the waves. Slowly, a platform rose out from the under the ship, snapping in place around the Baratie. It created a wide, open area for standing.

"Are they welcoming the pirates in?" Emmy asked her brother.

Don Krieg's underlings seemed to think so as they thrusted their weapons in the air and let out a loud warcry.

"Shishishishi," Luffy laughed as he started to do some squats to stretch out his legs, "Doesn't matter. All I know is that they're finally ready to fight! Time to kick some ass!"

"Be careful and watch out for the water," Emmy advised as Luffy put his hands on the railing. He backed up through the door and all the way to the end of the restaurant, stretching his arms as far as it could go.

"You too," Luffy grinned and then he kicked up knees to slingshot forward, "GUM GUM ROCKET!"

Emmy laughed as her brother happily stayed true to his word and went all out. He knocked a group of the pirates into the water with his Gum Gum Scythe and then punched another group in with his Gum Gum Gatling. He grabbed onto the broken mast of the galleon and hung onto it while grinning expectantly at Don Krieg, who looked amused by Luffy's antics too.

"So you actually want to fight on the water when there's little foothold?" Don Krieg asked, "What an idiot. You're helpless in the water. I know at least that much about Devil Fruit users."

"Oy, you damn pirates!" Sanji called out from the upper level as he leapt over the railing and down to the platform, "Since you guys ordered a fight, we, the cooks, will serve it to you at the utmost."

"GO!' Krieg ordered his men and they charged forward.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

A group of them cried out in pain and fell into the water, not even making it a step onto the platform. Each of them were clutching their bleeding shoulder with a card embedded into them. Sanji spun around to see the seating hostess with a fan of cards in each hand.

"Yay, Emmy!" Luffy cheered from the mast.

She smiled behind her cards and made a mental note to thank Usopp for all the time and effort he put in to help her get more accurate with her aim. Then with a quick flick of her wrist, she sent them flying out, past Sanji, and towards the next wave of pirates.

"This restaurant is Zeff-san's treasure," she said with a nod to Sanji, "I'll help you protect it."

Sanji took a puff of his cigarette and then stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Thank you, Emmy-chan," he said before facing forward once more, "Come on, you damn pirates. The Front of House is ready for you."

"TAKE SAIL! The Baratie's sea battle weapon, the Mackerel Head!"

"Eh?" Emmy turned to portside to see the front fish-shaped masthead detach from the ship, revealing itself to be a paddle boat.

"Those idiots," Sanji said as he watched Patty and the cook with the sunglasses, Carne, paddle their way towards the galleon. The mouth of the boat opened and three cannons stuck out.

"FIRE!" Patty cried.

Kaboom!

The cannons fired repeatedly at the broken galleon and the pirates, while the fish continued towards Krieg. The boat did not stop until they were directly in front of the armor clad man. The mouth of the cannons were bigger than his head.

"Krieg! Be prepared! Watch how powerful the Sea Restaurant Baratie's sea battle weapon is!" Patty declared.

Kaboom!

The three cannons blasted at the armor clad Krieg with such force that it looked like it was shooting light beams at the pirate. Then, to Emmy's surprise, the light deflected around its intended target. The smoke bloomed around Krieg, who had easily knocked away the cannonballs with just the palm of his hand.

"Emmy-chan!"

Emmy blinked just in time to see Sanji kick away a pirate before he could make a grab for the girl. Sanji smiled at the girl. "Your attention should only be on our customers, Emmy-chan."

"Right," Emmy said and pulled out five new cards between her fingers, "Sorry, Sanji-san."

"It's okay," Sanji replied as they kicked and cut the incoming pirates. The other cooks barely had to do anything else since Sanji and the hostess kept the pirates far back away.

Then, a dark shadow loomed over the two blondes and Emmy tilted her head up to see the paddle boat, along with Carne and Patty in the driver seats, falling directly at them.

"Allow me," Sanji said without even batting an eye as he took out his cigarette and got to one knee. Then he kicked off the platform and sailed high into the air, right to the top of the mast of the Baratie. He swung his leg out and smoothly kicked the boat away. It crashed into the other side of the platform and avoided causing any damage to the actual restaurant.

"Sanji!" the cooks cried in relief.

"W-with just his foot?" Don Krieg shouted.

He landed swiftly on both feet and he frowned disapprovingly at Don Krieg, ignoring the incredulous cries from Patty and Carne as they crawled out of the now smoking fish.

"Oh! He's pretty good," Luffy called out from his spot on the galleon.

"You son of a bitch, Sanji! Are you trying to kill your own allies?!" Patty demanded.

"Yep," Sanji said without taking his eyes off of Don Krieg.

Shing! Shing!

Emmy gasped as her cards were cut by an incoming swordsman. She watched as the pieces of her cards fluttered down to the sea like flower petals. This new wave of pirates were bigger and stronger than the other ones she and Sanji had been dealing with. They looked meaner too.

"Get them!" The cooks shouted and charged forward with their giant forks and knives, "Protect the restaurant."

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

The cooks were easily tossed back towards the restaurant and their backs slammed against the guard rails. "These guys...they're totally different than the ones from before," one of the cooks groaned.

"Hehehe," one of the pirates said, "Don't lump us in with the average pirates. We're the Krieg Pirates, the rulers of the East Blue. This ship belongs to us now!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Sanji said as he lit a new cigarette, "We won't let you take even one step into the restaurant."

"Protect the owner! Protect the restaurant!" the cooks cheered.

"Watch out!" Emmy suddenly shouted as she tackled Carne and Patty to the ground.

Pew! Pew! Pew!

Something hard hit Emmy on the side of her head and she tumbled off the cooks. "Ow," she murmured as her hand moved up to where she'd been hit and she felt her headband.

"EMMY!" Luffy shouted. His voice covering all the other gasps and shouts of surprise.

"I'm okay," Emmy called out and sat up to show Luffy she was fine, "It hit my headband!"

Luffy's whole body relaxed and he grinned. "Whew, that was close."

Sanji, however, was not convinced in the slightest and he gaped at the girl. "And...it just..bounced off?!"

Emmy blinked, "Yep...Why?"

"Emmy-chan…" Sanji said and pointed directly behind her.

She turned and saw that whatever was shot at Patty and Carne were lodged deeply into the side of the ship. She got up to her feet, smoothed out her apron and grinned back at Sanji, "My headband is made out of a very thick stone. It was specially made for me."

"Oh," was all the cook could say. There were so many mysteries surrounding this girl and the headband was just a cherry on top of this puzzling sundae.

Emmy ignored Sanji's bewilderment and turned to the source of the unidentified projectiles. He was an enormous man that stood a full head taller than the other pirates. On his front, he wore thick iron plates that covered his chest, his knees, his elbows, and he even held two iron plates in his hands like a shield. Embedded in the center of each plate were large pearlescent stones. On his head, he wore a matching pearl hat.

She had felt his threat and murderous intent. It was so clear and strong that she had somehow instantly knew what he was going to do even with her headband on. I sensed an attack again…, she thought to herself excitedly.

"Impenetrable, hence invincible! When someone says 'Pearl-san, the Invincible Shield, of the Krieg Pirates,' they mean me!" he laughed.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, miss!" Luffy yelled out, "That must be so hard on you."

Emmy stifled a laugh while everyone shot a perplexed look at the rubber boy.

"Impenetrable, Luffy," Emmy corrected, "Not 'Impregnable'."

"Oh. Yah…" Luffy said as he picked his nose.

"WHAT?!" Pearl cried incredulously. It took a minute for him to realize what the rubber boy had said, "Are you in idiot? That's not even what impregnable means! AND I'M NOT A WOMAN!"

He turned and glared at the girl. Then his frown turned into a smile and he laughed. "It's not often that someone was able to dodge my flying pearls. Even if it was just a fluke. I can see why the captain wants you on our ship."

"It wasn't a fluke," Emmy said and smoothed out her apron, "You reek of violence and your emotions are very straight forward. I can read your actions easily."

"Even so," Sanji interjected and placed a hand on Emmy's shoulder, "The rest of these pirates are indeed a different caliber as the others. In good conscience, I cannot let you continue in this fight. Let me handle the rest."

"But-" Emmy started to protest.

"That's an order, little girl."

Emmy turned around and saw Zeff standing by the doorway of the Baratie. He had his arms folded across his chest and his eyes were glued on Don Krieg.

"Last time I checked, you still worked for me," Zeff said but not unkindly, "And I had distinctly asked you to stay behind, didn't I?"

Emmy smoothed out her apron and she bowed to Sanji. "I'll leave it to you then, Sanji-san."

Sanji said nothing as Emmy went to Zeff's side. The cook glanced over at her brother and that's when he noticed that there were five fresh holes on the mast that Luffy was holding onto. There were also splinters along the fingers of Luffy's left hand. He had dented the mast with his intense grip when Emmy had been struck.

Sanji smirked against his cigarette. Oh...so some things do get under your skin...


	24. I am Helping You Decide.

It all seemed to be going pretty well from what Emmy could tell. Sanji, himself, was able to fend off the invading pirates single handedly. Or in his case, single "footedly". He had informed all those who were watching that he only used his legs in battle in order to preserve his hands, the most important tools for a chef.

Pearl and Don Krieg stayed out of the fight, coolly observing their fellow crew members get taken down one by one. They didn't seem to care one bit over the loss of their own men. In fact, Pearl didn't seem to care about anything at all. That is, until Krieg accidentally sent Luffy sailing right into the back of Pearl's head.

The rubber boy's harsh landing forced Pearl to smash his nose into one of his large iron shields. Blood dripped out of his nose and Pearl lost his cool completely both physically and mentally. He had burst into a fiery rage and set himself ablaze with a white flame. He had set the whole platform on fire and for just a second, Emmy thought that the fight had turned for the worst.

However, Sanji was able to handle the heat and it did not stop him from attacking the burning man, making the other nostril bleed. Chef Zeff also intervened, just slightly, by extinguishing from Pearl's fiery projectiles with just the gust of a kick from his peg leg. He didn't even budge an inch from his position right under the doorway.

"Woo. Pops is really cool," Luffy smiled from the platform, seemingly unfazed by the flames encircling him, "I'm impressed."

"Sanji-san! Above you!" Emmy warned as Krieg swung over a chain connected to a heavy, spiked iron ball, the size of half a fishing boat, right over Luffy's head. It came flying down towards Sanji, who was also fenced in by fire.

Sanji was backed into a corner. He could either run through the flame and get burned to a crisp or jump out of the way with only a slim chance he'd be able to avoid the weapon. "Shit!"

"Ow, ow, ow, ow!" Luffy cried as he ran through the fire and towards the blond cook. He stretched out his hands and caught the iron ball, "GUM GUM BAZOOKA!"

He pushed the iron spiked ball back exactly where it came from and Krieg had to shift to the side just to avoid getting hit with his own weapon. The ball broke the mast and sent it falling directly on top of Pearl's head. Emmy was about to let out a small sigh of relief when suddenly, she felt someone grab her from behind. Beside her, the old chef fell forward and a heavy boot was stomped right in the middle of his back.

"GAHHH!" Zeff groaned on the floor as Gin pointed a pistol at the old chef's head.

"Gin-san?!" Emmy gasped as she struggled against his hold.

"Shut up," Gin said coldly as he moved his hand to Emmy's throat and gave it a harsh squeeze to stop her from saying anything more.

"Emmy!"

"Damn geezer!"

"The battle ends here," Gin stated, his eyes meeting Luffy's and Sanji's widened ones.

Krieg laughed victoriously. "That's right! Shoot 'Red Foot' Zeff! All we need to do is kill him. Then the restaurant is ours! You even got the girl too!"

"Gin-san…" Emmy rasped, "You...don't want to do this…"

"I thought I told you to shut up," Gin hissed and pressed his fingers into Emmy's larynx.

"Gak!"

"Gin! You jerk! What are you doing?!" Luffy yelled as he bent his arm back, "You're hurting, Emmy!"

"NO! STOP!" Sanji shouted, grabbing Luffy's wrist to stop him from making an impulsive move, "He'll pull the trigger if you do anything to him!"

"That's right. Even if this old man was once a great pirate, he's just a cook now. It'll be easy for me to blow his brains out," Gin said, his eyes not moving from Sanji's face, "You want to save this man, right, Sanji-san? Please, leave this ship without a fight. I don't want to kill you."

"Leave the ship? Tch. No way," Sanji scoffed and then he shot a condescending look at the fallen chef, "Man, do you look stupid, you damn geezer. You're not setting a very good example for the fighting cooks, you know? Getting taken down by the likes of him and unable to protect the little lady on top of all that?"

"Hmph," Chef Zeff grunted, "I don't need a lecture from a little brat."

"Where do you get off calling me 'little brat', you damn bastard?! Quit treating me like a kid already!" Sanji yelled. Then he stuffed his hands in his pockets and turned his attention back to Gin, "Oy. If you're going to point the pistol at someone, point it at me."

"Sanji-san...Why?!" Gin asked, "I just said I don't want to kill you!"

"Hehe. If you want to die so badly, I'll kill you in a refined way," Pearl laughed as he charged towards the blonde cook with his iron shield raised high in the air, "Don't move if you don't want your owner's head blown off! The Absolutely Natural Pearl...Surprise!"

"SANJI! DODGE IT!" Luffy shouted as the iron shield connected right into the blonde's jaw.

Sanji took the hit without showing any signs of resistance. Blood came pouring out of his face as Sanji collapsed to the ground.

"S...sanji...san…" Emmy whispered, feeling Gin's fingers tighten out of shock from Sanji's lack of action.

"Why?! Why didn't you dodge?" Gin demanded, "If you abandon this restaurant, everyone's life will be saved. It's a no-brainer, isn't it?!"

"This restaurant is the damn geezer's treasure!" Sanji shouted back, wiping the blood away from his mouth with his sleeve, "I took everything from the damn geezer. His power...his dream...So...I don't want that damn geezer to lose anything else! He risked his life and ambition for me...so...I can't repay the damn geezer's kindness unless I risk my life for him too!"

"Sanji! Watch out!" Patty shouted just as Pearl came from behind with both iron shields at the ready.

"Pearl Cymbals!" Pearl called as he banged his shields together with Sanji's head caught in the middle.

"SANJI!" Luffy cried, "Fight. Damn it!"

Emmy couldn't take it anymore and she was beyond frustrated. It wasn't at Pearl for attacking a defenseless Sanji though. No, it was at the man whose hand was at her throat. He had no intention of killing anyone. That was why she didn't even think about it when he came up from behind them. She had felt Gin's guilt and his own frustration but she had just thought it was for bringing the Krieg pirates to the very place that saved his life just a few short days ago.

Even now, as Gin watched his savior get beaten to a bloody pulp by his own crew member, all Emmy could feel was his guilt and how torn he was at what to do. He couldn't decide whether to honor his captain's orders or honor the man who showed him kindness when everyone else had turned their backs on him.

She just couldn't take it anymore. She was beginning to lose her patience. Why couldn't everyone be as straight forward of their emotions and convictions like Gramps and Luffy? She decided then and there, she disliked people who were indecisive.

Her hand went up to her headband and she knocked it to her feet and then grabbed Gin's wrist with both her hands.

"If you can't decide, let me decide for you," Emmy said and dug her fingernails into his skin so that he couldn't move his hand. Then she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, "Feel Feel...Reveal!"

Hearts in all colors of the rainbow sprouted out from Gin and they latched onto Emmy and Emmy's whole world went completely white. Her mind was blinded for a second by a flash of light but when the light started to dim, Emmy could see her and Gin standing in the middle of this white world.

"What...what is this?" Gin asked as the light in the world started to slowly pulse in different colors.

"This is you," Emmy replied, slowly turning so that she could look all around her, "This is how you're feeling."

The world became dark grey and somehow, Emmy knew exactly what was being reflected in Gin's inner world.

"Regret," Emmy said.

Purple.

"Guilt."

Blue.

"Sadness."

"Wh..what are you doing to me?" Gin demanded as the speed of the changing colors started to slow.

"I'm showing you how you're really feeling, what you're trying to stop yourself from feeling, so that you can decide on what you want to do," Emmy said.

"You're just trying to convince me to spare the old geezer."

"That would be nice," Emmy admitted, "But no...I'm just trying to help you make a decision."

"Why?" Gin asked.

"Because if you're going to do something, follow through with it. Otherwise you're just wasting everyone's time," Emmy said bluntly.

"Either kill Zeff-san or...," Emmy continued, "Let him go and spare the Baratie. Your decision is simple...And you already know what you want to do."

"No, I don't!" Gin shouted, "Don't pretend that you-"

"The colors have stopped changing," Emmy interrupted, "It's been this way for awhile. Have you not noticed?"

Gin stiffened and he looked around. The girl was right. The light around them had turned into a dark pink.

"What is this…?" Gin asked. He wrinkled his nose, "Love? Now I know you're just trying to trick me. A man like me doesn't feel love."

"No. It's not love...It's gratitude," Emmy answered, "You are feeling, above all else, grateful."

She closed her eyes as if listening intently to something and she smiled. "You're grateful to your captain...your crew...to Sanji-san...to the Baratie...and above all else, you're grateful to be alive."

She opened her eyes and she stared at Gin, who was now crying heavily in front of her, "Now...do you know what you should do now to honor that feeling of gratitude?"

Gin gulped and he nodded while he buried his face behind his hands.

Emmy smoothed out her apron and she snapped her fingers. "Release."

The light enveloped them once more and within a blink of an eye, they were back to the Baratie. Her fingers were still wrapped around his wrist and his finger was still on the trigger. However, their expressions were vastly different from before. They were both smiling softly at each other.

She let go of her grip and so did Gin. Emmy fell to her knees. She rubbed her throat while placing her headband back on her head.

"Wha...what just happened?! EMMY! What just happened?!" Luffy demanded.

"Now's not the time to be looking at them!" Pearl shouted as he charged at the rubber boy and Sanji, "Burn to death with my Fire Pearls!"

Thwack! Clang!

Gin dropped the pistol to the ground and ran right past Sanji and Luffy. He pulled out two tonfas tipped with heavy iron balls from under his grey coat and whacked Pearl right in the center of the shield covering his torso. It shattered and broke apart along with many of Pearl's ribs.

"G-G-Gin-san?" Pearl gasped as he fell.

"Sorry, Pearl," Gin said with his head lowered, "I just need you out of my way."

"Gin!" Krieg demanded, "Are you going to betray us?!"

"I'm sorry, Don Krieg. He saved our lives. I don't want him to die this way...so please...let me bury him with my own hands!" Gin said.

Emmy smoothed out her apron and helped Zeff back up to a standing position. "So that's your decision, Gin-san," Emmy said with a nod.

"Oy! Emmy! Did you do something to him? All these hearts shot out of him and into you and then you guys just stared at each other for a long time and I didn't know if you were even breathing. What did you do to him?" Luffy rushed all in one breath and then his eyes gleamed, "WOOOO! Are you controlling his mind?!"

"And what? Have him kill me?!" Sanji snapped.

"I just helped him realize what he wanted to do," Emmy said and then smiled at Luffy, "He isn't as quick on making decisions as you are, Luffy."

"Yeah. Yeah," Luffy replied, nodding fervently in agreement, "I even decided that if Pearl kept kicking Sanji's ass, I would just destroy the ship."

'YOU WHAT?!" all the cooks except Zeff cried.

"Why you little-" Sanji yelled as he grabbed Luffy by the collar, "You really are a dirty pirate, aren't you?"

"Well, if I destroyed this ship, then there would be no reason for the pirates to attack, right?" Luffy huffed.

Emmy heard a small chuckle from the old man next to her. Zeff was clearly amused by Luffy's statement, which, at least in Emmy's opinion, wasn't wrong at all.

"What do you know about this restaurant?! What do you know about the kindness and importance this restaurant represents?!" Sanji yelled.

"It's still just a restaurant!" Luffy snapped, "You're really going to die for it? Are you stupid or something?!"

"What'd you say?" Sanji seethed, "Don't you dare call me stupid! I am prepared to die-"

"Dying isn't something you should do to repay kindness!" Luffy roared, "That's not what he saved you for!"

"You-"

"ENOUGH!" Emmy shouted sternly as she marched over to them and grabbed them both by the ears. Due to the fact that she stood several inches shorter than Luffy, both boys had to bend down in order to prevent their ears to get ripped off their head.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!" Luffy whined.

"Ah! Emmy-chan...what are you-" Sanji started to protest.

"Gin-san had a hard time making his decision," Emmy said, giving one final sharp tug on their ear lobes before letting go, "So respect his choice and give him the attention he deserves."

"Eh?"

They turned to see that Gin was patiently waiting for Sanji.

"Sanji-san!" Gin shouted, "I wanted you to leave this ship unhurt but it looks like it's not going to happen."

"Ah," Sanji said, "I can't let you have this restaurant even if it means risking my life."

"Then, at least burying you with my own hands is a way of settling this matter. Having you die by my hands, and not someone else on the crew, is my way of showing gratitude to both my captain and to you," he said and then his eyes moved to Luffy, "I'll be fighting you too."

"That's fine. I won't lose against weaklings like you,' Luffy stated.

"You damn bastard! What did you say to our Chief Commander?!" the Krieg Pirates yelled out indignantly from the sea.

"Chief Commander?" Sanji mused as he lit a new cigarette, "So you weren't just an underling. Tch...To hell with you."

"'To hell with you'?! 'Weaklings'?! What the hell do you take us for?!" the pirate crew yelled again, "We're the Krieg Pirates, the strongest pirates in the East Blue!"

Luffy tilted his head and frowned. "Wasn't it just because you had the biggest number of pirates?"

The indignant silence that followed gave the staff of the Baratie the answer they needed.

"Oh boy...you struck right to the heart of it," Sanji sighed.

"So I was right?" Luffy asked.

The pirates were ignited with a new wave of motivation and they started to swim towards the Baratie once more. "You son of a bitch! Don't mock us!"

"BACK OFF!" Don Krieg's command rang out and all of his underlings froze in fear, "If you get worked up when you are called 'weak', that just proves you are weak! Let the results of the battle prove to you whether you are strong or weak. You've got me so don't get so worked up!"

"Y-Yes, sir!"

"Gin!" Don Krieg ordered, "Finishing off that cook is your responsibility. I'll take care of that naive idiot over there."

"Understood, Don Krieg," Gin said.

Krieg then called out to Luffy. "Oy, you brat! I'll make you fully experience the true power that conquered the East Blue. I'll teach you that your devil fruit means nothing."

Luffy tilted his hat. "All your griping is getting annoying," he said, "I'll kick your ass. It's as simple as that."

He then lifted his chin up and grinned at Krieg. "I'm coming over now. You just wait there!"

"Luffy, need me to take your hat?" Emmy offered.

"Nope," Luffy said, "I'll be fine."

"Okay," Emmy said.

Luffy stared at her for a second and then he turned to another blonde. "Sanji."

"Ah?"

"He grabbed Emmy."

"I know," Sanji said as he ashed his cigarette, "I'll put in a kick for you."

"Thanks."

WIth that, the rubber boy ran across the broken mast that had once throttled Pearl. He charged at the captain of the Krieg Pirates while their Chief Commander duked it out with the blond cook. As expected of the Krieg Pirates, neither fight was on an even playing field.

Pearl had left some residual damage to Sanji's body and even the shockwaves of his own kicks was putting him in even more pain. Don Krieg, himself, shot his weapons not at Luffy but at the sea below, forcing the water up in an effort to douse the Devil Fruit user and nullify his powers.

"Sanji!" the cooks cried.

The blond was lying flat on his back with Gin sitting right on top of him. Gin's hand was right at Sanji's throat, pinning the cook down, and his other hand gripped his tonfa, ready to deal the fatal blow.

"Gin...san…" Emmy whispered.

Two drops of tears fell right by Sanji's head and the raised tonfa began to tremble.

"I can't…" Gin groaned through clenched teeth. He slowly lowered his weapon and he drew back his hand, "I...can't kill this man!"

"What'd you say?!" Don Krieg demanded.

Gin's fingers balled into a fist and he pressed it against his thighs. "It was the first time...someone had treated me so kindly before! I'm sorry but I can't kill this man!" he cried, "Don Krieg! Believe me. I don't intend to betray you and I don't think anything we've done up til now has been wrong either. I still respect your power and I appreciate you as well. I was really happy when you put your trust in my strength and I'm grateful that you appointed me as your Chief Commander. I fully intend to obey you and continue to follow your orders...but...but…but...I just can't kill...this one person"

His head bowed and his tears started to seep into his pants. "Don Krieg...If circumstances allow...is there any way you'd let this ship...this restaurant...off the hook?"

Gin's captain reacted as though someone had lit a match under him. He straightened up so fast and leapt forward. "You son of a bitch!" he yelled, "As if defying my orders wasn't enough, now you're giving me a lecture?!"

Don Krieg had had enough of all this foolishness. All he had asked for was his men to take over one ship. One simple ship. It wasn't even a warship or a pirate ship. It was just a restaurant. He was severely disappointed in his underlings. Did he have to do everything himself?!

He ripped his right shoulder plate off of his armor and fitted it over his hands. "Move away," he ordered to his men.

His men immediately recognized his stance and they shrieked. "Ahhh! M-MH5! It's the strongest poison gas weapon!"

"WHAT?! Gas?!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Stop whining about stupid stuff, you fools!" Don Krieg shouted. He was getting irritated by lack of composure in the voices of his own men, "This is a battle! Winning is the only goal! Foul play? Dirty? What's wrong with that?! No matter what means we take, winning is all that matters! That's power!"

"What a horrible bastard," Sanji grunted.

Gin's hand reached under his jacket and he pulled out an olive green gas mask. Around him, all the Krieg Pirates did the same.

"Gin! Throw your gas mask away! You're no longer one of us!" Krieg ordered, "Die!"

"AHHHHHHHHH! I won't let you shoot poison gas!" Luffy shouted as he charged down the mast once more.

Krieg balled up a fist and sent a firm punch through the mast. It jostled the beam and caused the rubber boy to stumble. "Stop scampering about you, stupid monkey!"

He raised his shoulder plate covered hand and fired out a round of stakes at Luffy, who quickly turned heel and ran as fast a he could back to the Baratie without getting punctured. He dove onto the platform just as Krieg stopped his shooting.

"Gin!" Luffy said, spotting the gas mask still in Gin's hand, "You don't have to listen to what that weakling says! I'm going to kick his ass now!"

"Don't mock Don Krieg!" Gin shouted back, "He's the strongest man. You can't defeat him."

"Come to your senses, you idiot! That man is trying to kill you!" Sanji yelled.

"I deserve it," Gin stated, "Since I couldn't fulfill my role...shamelessly losing myself to my emotions...this is...this is a well-deserved punishment."

He tossed the gas mask towards the water.

"AH!" Luffy and Sanji cried.

Thud!

Emmy dove forward and grabbed the mask just before it could even get a drop of moisture on it.

"Emmy-chan?!" Sanji gasped as she got to her feet and brought the mask back to Gin.

"Losing yourself to your emotions…" Emmy repeated and she frowned at Gin, "There's nothing wrong with that. It's only wrong when you lose yourself to other people's beliefs. Gin-san...do you really believe that sparing Sanji-san's life makes you weak and deserves punishment? Or do you only think that because your captain said so?"

"Of course, I-" Gin started to say and Emmy smiled at him.

"Answer honestly, Gin-san," Emmy said.

"Tch. Enough of this. You will all die!" Krieg shouted as the center of his shoulder plate opened, "MH5!"

A missile shot out from the opening and the pirates all quickly covered their face with their supplied gas mask. The cooks dove into the water while Patty and Carne rushed Zeff into the restaurant and swiftly closed the doors.

"Gin-san! Take the mask!" Emmy rushed.

"Emmy-chan! You take the mask!" Sanji insisted as he tried to sit up and press the mask to her face.

"GIN! SANJI! Use these!" Luffy shouted, tearing two masks away from two pirates and throwing it over his shoulder at Gin and Sanji. He looked for another pirate to steal from but then realized they had all gone underwater, "AH! I don't have one for myself! Crap! Crap! Crap!'

"LUFFY!" Emmy scrambled to him and fitted her mask over his face.

"No! You-" Luffy started to protest but then a new mask suddenly fell at his feet. He swiftly scooped it up and held it over Emmy's face just as the poison gas detonated overhead.

Kaboom!

Luffy and Emmy eyes never left each others and they stared at each other through the tinted glass of their gas mask. Even when the thick purplish mist rushed in between them and temporarily blocked their sight, their eyes did not move in the slightest and neither did their hands. Both were pressed firmly against each other's gas masks, holding them securely in place and keeping each other alive.


	25. I am Sick of Krieg.

The poison mist was slowly carried off by the wind and pulled into the sea. Luffy and Emmy did not move a muscle until they heard the sounds of other people's masks being lifted. Both their eyes crinkled upwards with relief and happiness as they pulled back their hand, allowing each other's masks to fall. The siblings shared a grin.

"That was close," Luffy sighed.

"Ah," Emmy nodded, "But I wonder where the last mask came from…"

"GIN! Let go! Gin!"

Sanji's startled cry drew their attention and both Emmy and Luffy got to their feet. Gin's skin had turned purple and blood was pouring out of his eyes and nose as he continued to press a gas mask to Sanji's face. There was no mask on Gin's face or anywhere near his body.

"Gin!" Luffy shouted as he rushed to the pirate, "Where's your mask?!"

"Don't tell me...The mask Luffy gave me was from you!" Emmy gasped as Gin fell to his side.

She started to run towards him but Luffy held out a hand to stop her. "No! Emmy. You'll feel it if you get near! Stay right where you are!"

"Pwahahahaha!" Don Krieg laughed, "What an idiot. You're in pain right now just because you feel indebted to some fool who gave you food? Well, I guess idiots don't learn anything until they die."

Emmy clenched her fists to her side and she glared at the laughing pirate. "Why are you laughing?!" she cried, "He was your loyal subordinate to the very end. He even threw away his gas mask per your order!"

The vein on Don Krieg's forehead throbbed. "My order? He defied my orders! I have no need for a useless scum like him."

"S...Scum?!" Emmy gasped. Her spine straightened and she took one step closer towards the armored pirate. "Gin-san did nothing wrong! He did what you told him to do and yet you still laugh?! You're not fit to be a leader. You're not fit to give orders! You're not fit to call yourself a man!"

"Yes. Scum. He's useless to me now. There's no guarantee that he won't betray me again," Don Krieg stated. A sneer crossed his face. "But don't think I'm not sentimental. After all, it's out of love that I put him out of his misery. Don't you agree?"

Emmy was at a loss for words. She found herself no longer feeling any fear towards the man. He still made her skin crawl but in a different way. She was utterly and completely repulsed by him to the point that it drowned out the anxiety and fear she initially had.

From behind her, Sanji was frantically trying to save the dying pirate in his arms. "Oy! Patty! Carne! We have antidote for poison right? Bring it out!"

"It's for food poisoning!" Patty protested.

"Bring it out anyways!" Sanji barked.

"Idiot! If you want to save him," the old chef stated, "Just put the mask on him. It should have some detoxifying effect built into it. Bring him up to the second floor and let him breathe the air there. That's the only way to save him."

"Really?!" Sanji asked, his eyes widening in surprise for split second before glaring at his other two colleagues, "You heard him! Hurry up, Patty! Carne!"

"Luffy," Emmy said with her whole body still directed solely at Don Krieg.

Luffy came into view in the corner of her eye as he moved to her side. "Ah," he said, "What's up?"

"I'm sick of him. I want to go join the others and find Nami-san. Get rid of him, please."

Luffy grinned and began to wind up his arm. "Leave it to me."

Emmy turned on her heel and let her brother face off against the steel armored pirate. "Thank you."

She walked towards Patty and Carne, who were busy carrying Gin back into the restaurant. She made sure she was a few steps away from them as not to feel any effects from the poison.

"You hear that, Gin?!" Luffy shouted without turning away from Krieg, "Don't you dare die on us! Hang in there, you got that?! I'm going to kick his ass for you!"

"D-Don't. You can't defeat him," Gin gasped through his mask.

"He's right!" Sanji shouted, "If you go over there, you would be playing right into his hands. You'll die!"

"I won't die," Luffy said and it made Emmy smile mid-step as she passed the blonde cook.

Sanji's eyes moved between the two siblings. Their backs were facing each other but their resolute facial expression were exactly the same. There was no worry, concern, or even a shadow of a doubt in their eyes while a grin was set on their lips. It was like they were in on the same joke and the joke happened to be Don Krieg, the strongest pirate in the East Blue.

Emmy did not even bat an eye when she heard the sounds of rushing gunfire, nor did she pause in her step when everyone else around her gasped and commented on whatever was happening between Luffy and Krieg. Only did she reach the entrance to the restaurant did she make any sort of change in her movements but that was only because the owner had put his hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"Little girl," he said, "You don't want to watch your brother fight to the death?"

Emmy smiled. "He won't die," she stated, "Now, if you'll need me, I'll be tidying up the dining area. The last dining group has left quite a mess. I should get started if we are to be ready for dinner service."

"Emmy-chan! Aren't you even a little concerned about your brother?!" Sanji demanded and finally, Emmy turned to meet his eyes.

"I believe you're doing that enough for the both of us, Sanji-san."

Chef Zeff chuckled and moved his hand away from her. "Very good," he said as the best waitress he ever hired went back to work.

Kaboom! Kaboom! Kaboom!

"CHORE BOY!"

Emmy paused midway through draping a clean tablecloth over the final table in the room. It wasn't because of Sanji's startled cry though. Whatever was happening outside had disturbed the waters and the ship was swaying pretty badly. She studied the room to make sure none of the glasswares she had already set out had toppled over. She frowned at each table as if daring any of the furniture to mess up her hard work. Then she nodded with satisfaction when everything seemed unaffected by the shockwave.

There was more shouting and battle cries that were coming from the men outside but Emmy didn't pay much attention to it. Only when the owner came into the room did she step away from the table and bow to him.

"I'm almost done," she said.

"I guess this is the only time your brother worked faster than you," he chuckled, "Everything is settled outside."

Emmy smiled and smoothed out her apron. "Then I guess I better hurry up then."

"Patty! Carne!" Sanji's voice shouted from outside, "Go get the boat we use for getting groceries! We're giving it to Gin!'

Thundering footsteps rang out from the top of the spiral staircase and soon Patty and Carne came storming through the dining area towards the door.

"What?! Why do we have to give our- WHOA! This room is back to normal!" Carne exclaimed as he skidded to a halt. It was a shame he was just a few steps ahead of Patty and because of his sudden stop, Patty slammed right into this back and sent the both of them sprawling to the floor.

Emmy laughed as she went through the front door to see the situation outside. Her humorous expression didn't leave her face when she spotted Gin standing with an unconscious and armorless Don Krieg slung over his shoulder. Sanji knelt by the edge of the platform with a snoring Luffy at his feet. Both men smiled at Emmy when they saw her at the door.

"Emmy-chan," Gin said, "I look forward to seeing you and your brother in the Grand Line. You can pass on that message to him when he wakes up too."

Emmy bowed her head. "I'm happy you've already decided on the next course of action, Gin-san."

"Once you're resolved, you don't have to think about stupid things like fearing your enemy or getting hurt. I learned it from that guy. I also learned that any decision is better than no decision at all. That I got from you, Emmy-chan...so thank you for that."

Emmy straightened up and she beamed at Gin. "I am glad to be of help to you, Gin-san."

She sat by the edge of the platform, next to her brother, while the cooks helped pile the remaining Krieg Pirates into their tiny grocery boat. Luffy snored soundly in between her and Sanji as they watched Gin sail away onto the next chapter of his life.

"Emmy-chan?" Sanji asked when the boat became nothing more than a dot on the horizon, "How were you so sure that Luffy was going to win?"

"He wants to become the King of Pirates. He has no choice but to win," Emmy said, "If he can't even beat Krieg, he might as well die here."

Sanji's lips parted and he had to quickly clench his teeth in order to save his cigarette from falling. He didn't expect something so cold and harsh coming from a delicate girl like herself. She must've read his mind because she turned to him and smiled apologetically.

"I'm sorry. You must think that came out a little cruel," Emmy said, "But we've both put our life on the line as soon as we set sail. We're going to find the One Piece or die trying."

"Why do you want to find the One Piece?" Sanji asked, "For the treasure?"

"For the adventure," Emmy said.

"That's it?" Sanji asked. He was puzzled when his question made Emmy laugh. "What? What's so funny?"

"Zoro said the same thing too," Emmy giggled, "Is it really hard for you to believe that I became a pirate for the adventure?"

"Yes," Sanji admitted, "After all, you're a delicate girl, even if you did live most of your life on the Grand Line. How did you end up here anyways? A girl with your composure and the fact that you already knew what a shrimp fork was makes me believe you might be a-"

"Emmy…" Luffy moaned in his sleep as he rolled to his side and threw an arm over Emmy's lap, "Dadan wants me to make the beds. I don't wanna...you do it…"

Emmy laughed and patted Luffy's arm. "Okay. I'll do it," she said and Luffy broke out into a sleepy grin.

"Shishishishi. Thanks. You're the best," he mumbled before returning to loud snoring.

"What an idiot," Sanji scoffed.

"OY! You damn brat! Are you slacking off just because you think you've done enough work for today?" Chef Zeff called out as he leaned against the doorframe, "Dinner service is starting and we gotta put down the fins. One look at these broken floor boards and our customers will think we're still fighting against the Krieg Pirates."

"Sorry, Zeff-san," Emmy said as she scrambled to her feet and bowed apologetically to the owner.

"Not you," Zeff scoffed, "I meant the other brat. You no longer work for me."

"Eh?" Emmy gasped and she straightened herself up, "What do you mean? Did I do something wrong?"

"Of course not," Zeff chuckled, "You're the best server and hostess I've ever had but I did give my word to somebody that I'd let you two off the hook if he got rid of a certain pirate for me."

Emmy let out a sigh of relief and she bowed again to the owner. "Thank you so much. I very much enjoyed working at your restaurant."

"You have worked very hard. You and your brother are welcome to rest in my room. I'll call you all down when it's meal time," Zeff said as he re-entered the restaurant.

"Yeah right! Like Emmy-chan would want to sleep in an old fart's room. She can stay in mine!" Sanji snapped.

"Suit yourself," Zeff replied.

Emmy smiled and was about to hoist Luffy up when Sanji did the honors for her. "Allow me, Emmy-chan," he said and they walked together up to the second floor, "I can make anything you want. You don't have to eat what the rest of us cooks eat. What's your favorite food?"

"I'll eat what everyone else eats. I don't need any special treatment...but for the record, I like rice crackers," Emmy said and Sanji almost tripped on the steps.

"You are full of surprises, Emmy-chan," Sanji chuckled, "I thought you would've said something like cakes or cookies."

"I don't like sweets and pastries," Emmy said and Sanji noticed that her lips pursed at just the thought of the food, "Black tea too. I can't stomach it."

Sanji nodded. "Duly noted, Emmy-chan."

Emmy smiled. "Luffy likes-"

"I don't care what that idiot likes," Sanji said.

Zzzzzzzzzzz. Gak.

"Eh?" Luffy slowly opened his eyes and sat up. He was in a bed with a blue blanket.

He blinked. He was in a bed with a blue blanket and white pillow.

His hand twitched. He was in a bed with a blue blanket, white pillow, and holding someone's hand.

He turned his head. He was in a bed with a blue blanket, white pillow, and holding Emmy's hand while she slept at his side.

He moved his hand up to his hair. He was in a bed with a blue blanket, white pillow, while holding Emmy's hand and missing his hat.

He blinked again.

"AH! My hat!" he screamed as both hands clutched his hair and gave it a sharp pull to make sure he was feeling it correctly, "My straw hat is gone!"

From beside him, his sister awoke with a gasp.

"It's right there, you idiot! How dare you startle Emmy-chan?!"

"Eh?"

Luffy pivoted to the side and saw Sanji sitting by the windowsill, basking in the sunlight. The cook lifted his hand and pointed his cigarette towards the back wall where Luffy's prized hat was resting on top of a bookshelf. Luffy let out a sigh of relief as his sister got out of bed to retrieve his hat for him.

"There it is," Luffy grinned.

"So you're finally awake," Sanji said, "Took you awhile."

"What happened to everyone?" Luffy asked.

"They all left thanks to you," Sanji replied.

"Me?" Luffy asked.

"Gin left a message for you. He said he'll see you in the Grand Line," Sanji said.

"Gin did?" Luffy repeated, "To us?"

"To you and Emmy-chan!" Sanji snapped, "Leave me out of this!"

"C'mon!" Luffy whined, "You really don't wanna come with us?"

"I'm not going," Sanji insisted and he crawled out of his window to stand along the outside deck, "I won't become a pirate. I'll continue to work here as a cook until I get that damn geezer to acknowledge my skills."

Luffy hung his head dejectedly. "Fine. I give up."

"Ah! Luffy!" Emmy gasped. Despite what the rubber boy might've said, his hand reached out to yank Sanji by the collar, practically choking the man with his own necktie.

"Why hasn't your hand given up yet then, you hypocritical little shit?!" Sanji grunted as he tried to loosen his tie from the front.

Luffy threw back his head and grinned. "Idiot. Like I would give up that easily. You're the only cook I want so you're definitely coming with us."

"Just give up!" Sanji choked out.

"Never!"

"At least let go," Emmy said as she grabbed Luffy's arm to get his attention, "You're going to strangle him and then you're going to end up with a dead cook!"

"Fine," Luffy sighed and released his hand. His arm snapped back in place and he frowned at how stubborn the cook was being.

"I can't leave here. Sorry to disappoint you two," Sanji said as he puffed on his cigarette, "But...I'm hoping to go some day...to the Grand Line."

"See?!" Luffy cheered as he slingshotted himself to Sanji's side. He then looked back at the bed and shared a grin with Emmy, "You do want to come with us. So let's just go now!"

"It's not the right time yet," Sanji said. Then, without warning, he turned excitedly to the rubber boy, "Hey! Have you heard of the All Blue before?"

Luffy scratched the side of his head. "No…"

"Me neither," Emmy said as she carefully climbed over the windowsill and joined the boys.

"You haven't? It's a miracle sea!" Sanji said. He had on the biggest and most childlike smile Emmy had seen on him yet, "The East Blue...The West Blue..the North Blue...and the South Blue...Fish from all those four seas live in that sea. To us cooks. It's a dream-like paradise!"

Emmy and Luffy listened to Sanji go on and on about this legendary sea. The way he talked about it, with his enthusiastic hand gestures and widened grin, made Emmy think about Luffy when he told her about all the pirate stories he had heard from Shanks and his crew. Emmy tilted her head to the side and she smiled at the cook. Internally, she was also smiling at another cook. From the corner of her eye, she could spot the tip of a very long, braided mustache just peaking out over the corner of the railing from the deck above them.

Zeff-san, Emmy thought to herself, You want him to come with us too, don't you? You want him to pursue his dream instead of helping you with yours.

The sun started to set and soon the dinner bell rang to signal the staff's meal time. The three of them headed down to the dining area where the cooks had already begun to chow down. Emmy looked around the room and realized they had moved all the tables and chairs she had previously organized. Many of them were missing and all the chairs set out already had someone sitting in them.

"Where's our food?" Luffy asked.

"And...where should we sit?" Emmy added.

"Grab your food over on the side table but there's no chairs for you," one of the cooks snorted, "Just sit on the floor."

"Eh? This is a restaurant, you bastards, and how dare you make the little lady sit on the floor while you're sitting comfortably in a chair," Sanji snapped, "I'll go get-"

"It's fine," Emmy said with a smile as she grabbed Sanji's elbow to hold him back, "We'll sit on the floor. It'll be fun. Like a picnic!"

Sanji glared at the cooks. "You're lucky Emmy-chan has such a soft heart," he lectured but no one paid him any mind. Sanji let out a little sigh and smiled apologetically at the girl, "I'll go get your food for you, Emmy-chan. You can just sit by the wall over there."

Emmy nodded. "Okay. Thank you, Sanji-san."

Sanji, Luffy, and Emmy sat in the corner by the wall. Sanji brought Emmy a tray of food while Luffy happily carried over four trays all for himself. Each tray had a serving of hamburger patty, rice, a garden salad, and a bowl of clear broth.

"Everyone's acting kinda weird. Don't you think, Emmy?" Luffy asked as he shoveled the meat and rice into his mouth.

Emmy shook her head. "Nope. They all seem normal to me," she said as she stabbed a fork into her salad.

Luffy frowned and leaned a bit closer to his sister. She wasn't looking him in the eyes when she said that. "Are you sure?"

"Yep," Emmy replied.

"Oy! Who prepared the soup this morning?!" Patty suddenly called out from his seat and stopping Luffy from asking Emmy why she was acting weird too.

Sanji shot a hand up into the air and he smiled proudly at the coko. "I did!" he said, "I made it especially good today!"

"I can't eat damn nasty soup like this. What is this? Pig feed?!" Patty sputtered and wiped his mouth roughly with the back of his hand.

Sanji rushed to his feet. "Oy! Is human food not to your liking, you damn raccoon dog?"

"You think this is fit for humans?" Patty shot back and continued to spit in between his sentences, "This is so bad it can't even be considered food. I wouldn't even give it to my worst enemies."

"I'm sorry but I'm really confident about today's soup," Sanji said, "I don't care what you say. There's something wrong with your taste buds."

"I can't eat this!"

"What is this crap?!"

Around the room, every cook slammed their spoons down and pushed their bowl of soup away from them. With each rejection, Sanji's face grew darker and darker.

"What do you think you're doing, you bastards?!" he shouted.

"Oy! If the food's bad, we're gonna say so," Carne yelled back from his seat.

"You're such a lame excuse for a cook," Patty huffed, "A sham of a Sous Chef. "

"And we're tired of your temper and how you always resort to violence!" another cook added.

"What did you say?!" Sanji demanded.

Before anyone could say anything, a loud slurp cut through the room. They all turned to watch the old chef drink the soup, spoonful by spoonful. "We're seafaring cooks," he said in between bites, "Don't waste even a drop of soup."

Finally, when the last drop of soup was consumed from his bowl, Zeff set the spoon down on the table and got up from his seat. Everyone was waiting with baited breath to hear what the chef had to say about Sanji's soup. He paused for a moment before flinging the empty bowl onto the floor. It was so quiet in the room that the sound of the bowl smashing into pieces came out a lot more dramatic than it actually was.

"Oy! You geezer," Sanij said through clenched teeth.

Zeff turned to his protege and pointed an accusatory finger at him. "What is this damn nasty soup? It's like sludge! If we serve something like this, our restaurant will go out of business!"

"Don't be ridiculous, you damn geezer!" Sanji seethed as he rushed over and grabbed the old chef by his blue ascot, "Just how is this soup different from the one you serve? Just tell me?!"

"You want to compare this to my soup?!" Zeff shouted, "Don't flatter yourself!"

Thwack!

All the cooks were stunned when the chef dealt a blow to Sanji across the face. Zeff had punched the cook. He didn't kick. The old chef held his fist in front of Sanji' face for emphasis.

"It'll be a billion years before you can even give me a lecture on cooking, you damn brat! I'm a man who has cooked on the seas from around the world," he said, "What have you done?"

Sanji narrowed his eyes and his hand went to his bruised cheek. "Damn it!" he cursed and stormed out of the room, "Damn you, old geezer! I'm not a brat anymore!"

Luffy tilted his head and looked at Emmy with confusion, who was in the middle of drinking the offending soup. "I thought the soup was good. Don't you?"

"Yes, it is," Emmy said, "And everyone else thinks so too."

"Huh?"

"That's right," Zeff sighed as he crossed his arms and frowned at the rubber boy, "Sanji's cooking skill are recognized by everyone here."

"It's not all that bad," one of the cooks grunted.

"Ah. That soup is very well made," another one added.

"Ugh, you made us put on quite a show, Owner," Patty said.

Carne laughed. "I was worried that he might see through it because of your bad acting, Patty."

"What did you say?!" Patty snapped, "You're acting was pretty bad yourself."

Luffy looked to his sister again. "I don't get it."

"They did it in hopes it would force Sanji to leave the restaurant," Emmy replied and then she smiled at the owner, "But wouldn't it just be easier to just tell him that you've already accepted his skills and talents and you have for quite some time now, Zeff-san?"

"You have?" Luffy cried.

"Your Devil Fruit is really something, little girl," Zeff chuckled and then he nodded at Luffy, "Ah. After all, I've been watching over his cooking all these years and taught him everything I know."

Zeff sighed. "Oy, boy. You were saying that you wanted a cook for your ship, right? This isn't a favor that I'd normally ask of you but would you take that little brat with you? To the Grand Line? It's his dream, you know."

"No," Luffy said bluntly as he stabbed a fork into Emmy's untouched hamburger patty and brought up to his mouth.

"WHAT?!" the cooks shouted.

Emmy reached out and wrapped her hand around her brother's, stopping him from moving the fork closer to his lips and she frowned disapprovingly. "Ask for permission first," she said.

Luffy grinned. "May I please have your food?"

Emmy smiled and released her hold. "Yes, you can."

"Fank Moo," Luffy said with his mouth full.

"You're welcome," Emmy laughed and then turned to the owner, "What Luffy means is that while we really do want Sanji-san to join us and we would really like to have a cook on board, we can't accept him this way."

Luffy swallowed his food and he grinned at Emmy. "Sanji already said he wanted to stay here and he's free to do what he wants."

"So what you're saying is that you won't take him unless he tells you directly that he wants to come with you?" Zeff asked.

"Exactly," Luffy said and held up his and Emmy's empty trays, "More please!"


	26. I am Waiting For Permission.

Emmy only had one feeling when Yosaku and Sanji broke through the wall of the Baratie with the bounty hunter's lower body trapped between the jaws of a panda shark.

Shame.

"Such a shame," she murmured as Luffy and the cooks rushed over to help the two men out of this bizarre situation, "We worked so hard not to damage the restaurant…"

"Oy! Yosaku, what's going on?" Luffy asked. He squatted next to the bounty hunter's head while he munched on a bone, "Where's Nami?"

"B-Big Bro Luffy," Yosaku rasped, "Get...me out of here."

"Eh?" Luffy asked and that's when he noticed the shark that was connected below his torso, "AH! What the hell?!"

"You just noticed?!" the cooks snapped.

The cooks and the rubber boy pulled the man out of his confinement and hauled the shark to the kitchen. Emmy couldn't help but appreciate how quickly the cooks made lemonade out of the lemons given to them. She helped Yosaku up to a chair and Sanji even brought over a blanket to warm him up.

"We...we...went after Big Sis Nami," Yosaku said, "And judging from the direction she was going, we figured out roughly her destination...And if our theory is correct, her destination is a crazy place. That's why I jumped out of the boat and swam back to get you. We will need your help, Big Bro Luffy!"

"Yosh," Luffy said, "I don't really get it, but okay. Let's go!"

"You can use one of our other grocery boats," Zeff offered as Luffy, Yosaku, and Emmy got ready to head out.

"Thank you, Zeff-san," Emmy said with a bow, "I hope one day I can come back and tell you my adventures over a lovely meal here."

"You're leaving to the Grand LIne as a waitress and wish to return as a customer?," Zeff chuckled, "Well, stranger things have happened. Good luck to you both."

"Thank you," Emmy said again and this time even Luffy nodded his thanks.

They started to walk towards the boat and they passed Sanji, who was leaning against a railing and lighting up a new cigarette. "Wait," he called out to them, "It seems we all have foolish dreams to follow."

"Huh?" Luffy asked as he turned to stare at the cook.

Sanji lifted the cigarette from his lips and blew the smoke out towards the sky. "In order to achieve my goal, to get to the All Blue…I'll come along on your journey to become the King of Pirates. I'll be your cook."

"Eh?" This time Emmy stopped to give Sanji her full attention.

"Yes or no?!" Sanji demanded, annoyed with how long it was taking for this rubber boy to just accept his request.

Luffy's teeth gleamed under the sun and he thrusted his fists into the air. "YESSSS!" he shouted victoriously, "All right!"

"Ah! Congrats, Big Bro Luffy and Lil Sis Emmy!" Yosaku cheered as he grabbed Luffy and Emmy by the hands and they begun to spin around in excitement, "We're gonna eat so well now!"

"Wahoo!" Luffy shouted as Emmy laughed.

"We have a cook now. We have a cook now!" the three of them sang.

Emmy noticed that Sanji was looking solemnly over into the restaurant and she quickly halted the group's little victory dance. "Enough," she said and gave a light push to Luffy and Yosaku's shoulders to get them to move towards the boat, "Let's give Sanji-san some privacy so he can say resign."

"B-But-" Luffy started to protest and Emmy smiled at him.

"We have to get the boat ready to get Nami-san and Merry-san, remember?"

"Oh yeah!" Luffy shouted and he dashed off with a reignited vigor.

With Yosaku doing most of the work, they got the boat all set for their voyage. Whatever Sanji had to say to his colleagues and the owner seemed to be pretty short as midway through their prep, the cooks came out to help Luffy load some food into the boat's pantry. The ratio of vegetable to meat were not quite to the captain's liking but it seemed to make the first mate pretty happy so Luffy didn't complain...much.

Soon the only thing missing from the boat was the new cook. Yosaku, Emmy, and Luffy sat at the stern, waiting for Sanji to start his new role as a pirate cook, and the rest of the cooks stood on the deck, waiting for their Sous Chef to leave.

Finally, the blonde showed up with his kitchen knives, stowed safely in a wooden briefcase, and a small cloth sack of his belongings. He didn't make it two steps out of the restaurant before Patty and Carne came charging at him from both sides.

Thwack! Thwack!

In one swift motion, the blonde kicked down the two cooks and continued on his way to the boat. No one made a move or said a word until Sanji stood directly in front of his new captain.

"Let's go," Sanji said as he tossed his sack into the boat.

"You don't have to say good-bye or anything?" Luffy asked.

"That's okay," Sanji replied and put one foot onto the boat.

"SANJI!," the owner's voice rang out from the second level of the restaurant.

Emmy smiled as the old chef leaned his elbows against the railings and chuckled to the back of Sanji's head, "Don't catch a cold."

Sanji's eyes flooded with tears and he immediately did a 180 turn on his feet. He sank to his knees and flattened his forehead against the ground. "Owner Zeff!" he shouted, "Thank you for all the damn things you've done for me over all these years. I'll never forget your kindness...for the rest of my life!"

"Wahhhhhh! You asshole!" Patty roared as tears streamed down his own eyes and from behind Carne's sunglasses as well, "I'll miss you, dammit!"

"I'll miss you!" Carne sobbed.

"You idiots!" Zeff grunted from his position as he wiped away the moisture that was just slightly dribbling out from the bottom of his eyes, "Men should part without a word."

"Shishishishi," Luffy laughed as Sanji got to his feet and climbed into the boat while still sobbing, "Let's go!"

Emmy bowed to the staff of the Baratie one final time as the boat started to pull away from the restaurant. Then she turned to face her brother and her new nakama. She handed Sanji a handkerchief and smiled at Luffy.

"Now all we need is a doctor," she said.

"And a musician," Luffy added.

"Thank...you, Emmy-chan. I'll wash this and return it to you when it's clean," Sanji sniffled as he stuffed the handkerchief into his pocket.

"It's fine," Emmy said and reached out her hand to take it back from him, "I'm in charge of all the cleaning and laundry on our ship."

"I can't let you do that!" Sanji gasped, "For such delicate hands to touch something as dirty and foul as Luffy's clothes would be an offense to the heavens!"

"What's wrong with my clothes?" Luffy demanded.

"It's fine," Emmy laughed, not moving her hand away, "It is my job as the first mate just like it's your job to cook. If anything, it would be more offensive to me if you don't let me do the laundry."

"Very well," Sanji sighed and reluctantly put the moistened handkerchief in Emmy's hands. He then picked up his case of knives and headed for the kitchen, "Then I might as well start my job then and cook."

"I want-" Luffy started to say.

"Shut it," Sanji said, "I already know what I'm going to make."

The door shut behind the cook and Luffy grinned excitedly at Emmy. "I wonder what food we get to eat."

Emmy laughed as her brother's mouth began to salivate. She took a step back and held her hands up in protest. "Control yourself, Luffy," she said, "You're making hungry just by being near you."

"Oh yeah!" Luffy shouted and then tugged gently at the bow on her head, "It's just us now. Why don't you try taking your headband off and see what happens?"

Emmy put her hand over his, stopping him from removing her headband, "It's the same case as when we're on the Merry-san, Luffy. I need everyone's permission in order to do that. Tapping into everyone's emotions for an extended period of time without their consent or knowledge would be a violation of their privacy."

"Yosaku! Is it okay of Emmy uses her devil fruit powers on you?" Luffy asked, turning to the bounty hunter.

"What? No!" Yosaku immediately shouted and then he gasped, "Wait! Lil Sis is a devil fruit user?!"

"Petty," Luffy pouted. He was already bummed out that they had been sailing this entire time with Usopp and Nami and yet Emmy was unwilling to practice with them, since the navigator refused to give Emmy permission. Now, even with another small crew, it seemed his sister still won't be able to do anything cool.

"Come on," Luffy whined and then his grin came back with another thought, "Hey! How about you take off your headband and do what you did to Gin with me?"

"Eh?" Emmy asked.

"Yeah! Yeah! You made all these hearts come out of him and you got connected to it in some way. You said it helped him, right? So why don't you try it with me?" Luffy said.

"But...you already know how you're feeling," Emmy replied with a frown, "It wouldn't be the same. You know what you want. There's no need for me to help you with that."

Luffy's shoulders slumped and he nodded in agreement. "Meat. I want meat," he said. There was no denying it.

Emmy pulled out her deck of cards from her pocket. "How about we play a game instead?' she suggested, "Although, I have to warn you...I'm missing a couple cards."

"Oh then let's play Slapjack!" Luffy shouted and bounded over to the table that was set up near the stern of the ship.

"What's Slapjack?" Yosaku asked as he and Emmy followed Luffy and took their seat.

"You see a jack, you slap it," Emmy replied as she started to deal out the cards face down, "We each flip over our top cards into the middle pile. First hand on a revealing jack wins the pile. It's a game of reflexes and the point is to get all the cards."

"Yep! Slap all the cards!" Luffy shouted.

Thwack!

Emmy smiled patiently at Luffy while moving her hand out from under his. "You slap after I finish dealing, Luffy," she said.

Yosaku gaped at the girl's hand. It was already turning a bright pink from Luffy's harsh slap. He gulped and then looked up at the rubber boy's grinning face.

"I love Slapjack," Luffy laughed.

By the time Sanji came out to serve them their meal, there was already a slight dent in the middle of the table in the shape of a handprint. Yosaku was bent over his chair and blowing air to the back of his throbbing red hand. Next to him, Luffy was laughing victoriously at the mound of cards in front of him while Emmy started to clear everything away for the cook.

When Sanji got to the table, he almost dropped all the plates he was balancing on his two arms. Emmy's hands were redder than a tomato. "Emmy-chan! Are you alright?!"

"Yes," Emmy said, "I just need to work on my reflexes that's all."

"Oy! What the hell did you do to Emmy-chan?!" Sanji shouted at Luffy.

"Monsters...you're both monsters…" Yosaku whimpered as he leaned over the side of the boat to stick his hand into the cool sea water.

"Eh? Why are you calling Emmy-chan a monster?" Sanji demanded.

"Because she got hit more than me and yet she's acting like everything is okay," Yosaku said, "I think...I think Big Bro Luffy shattered all the bones in my hand."

Sanji blinked at Emmy who smiled politely back.

"I have a high tolerance for pain," Emmy said.

"Shishishishi," Luffy laughed, "Emmy is strong."

Sanji hurriedly set the plates down and picked up Emmy's hands by the wrist to inspect them. They did look slightly puffier than usual. "Oy, Emmy-chan. Pain is a way for our bodies to let us know when something is wrong. If you've broken something-"

"Then it'll be fixed," Emmy said and she pulled off her headband, set it on her lap, and held her hands out for Sanji to see, "Just wait…"

"For what?" Sanji asked as Yosaku leaned in to look too.

Their eyes widened when the swelling rapidly went down and so did the redness in her skin. Within seconds her hands had returned to normal. She smiled and put her headband back on her head. "It's apparently a side effect of my Feel Feel Fruit. I can heal any wound and injury placed on my body."

"Isn't it cool?" Luffy said excitedly as he started to shovel food in his mouth.

"That is pretty amazing," Sanji whispered and then he noticed the speed and amount that the rubber boy was consuming, "Ah! Slow down or else there'll be nothing left for the rest of us!"

While they ate, Emmy explained her devil fruit and her headband to Yosaku and Sanji. She was slightly taken aback by how quickly Sanji caught on to everything. She didn't need to elaborate as much as she had to do with Zoro, Nami, and even Usopp. The cook was even able to explain things to Yosaku in ways Emmy never even thought of.

"So basically the headband is the floodgates and if Emmy-chan takes it off, she'll drown in everyone else's crap," Sanji said, "Their feelings, their pain, their illnesses. Everything."

"Oh, I see," Yosaku replied and scratched his chin, "I was wondering why you were the only person who never came near me when I was sick. I thought it was because you were disgusted with me, Lil Sis."

"Me?" Emmy gasped, "No. I would never think that of you, Yosaku-san."

"I realize that now," Yosaku said with a grin and then his eye widened when Luffy's hand stretched over the table and made a grab for Yosaku's plate of pickles. Yosaku's hand was still too raw for him to reach out in time to stop the rubber boy but thankfully, the girl was able to do the honors for him.

She grabbed Luffy by the wrist and frowned at him. "Don't be rude," she said.

Luffy sighed and looked over at Yosaku. "May I have some of your food," he mumbled. It was in a statement and not a question.

"Please," Emmy said.

"Please…" Luffy repeated with a scowl.

"You can take one, but that's it," Yosaku replied and Luffy pouted.

"Say thank you," Emmy prodded. She released her grip and continued on to eat her own food.

"Thank you," Luffy grunted and picked up a pickle with his two fingers. He shoved it into his mouth and crunched it noisily in his seat.

"SHHH! QUIET!" Sanji hissed suddenly.

"Eh?"

The trio looked over at the cook, who was leaning over the side of the boat and staring down into the waters. "Listen," he whispered to the group.

They all tilted their head and tried to hear whatever it was that got the cook's attention.

Mooooooooooooo.

"Tch. It's big," Sanji clucked just as a large sea king burst through the surface of the water. It looked like a giant cow with green markings instead of black and a golden ring around it's nose. However, it also had greyish scales in the front of it's body.

It's giant eyes blinked at the group and then it moved to the table.

"It wants the food!" Yosaku screamed.

That was the green light for the rubber boy and his punch went flying straight up the sea cow's jaw. The sea cow fell back into the water, causing the boat to sway violently. "Stay away from my food!" Luffy ordered.

The sea cow floated back up to the surface and he glared over the side of the ship.

"Ah! You made it mad!" Yosaku shrieked.

"Then how about this!" Luffy shouted, "Gum Gum-"

"Idiot! Don't beat up someone who's hungry for no reason!" Sanji seethed and kicked Luffy to the side before the captain could do anymore damage. He picked up a plate of meat and held out to the creature, "Here you go."

"Ooh. What love," Yosaku marvelled.

Emmy blinked at the sea cow, who gazed longingly at the dish and then at Sanji. "But...Sanji...it's not hungry."

"What?" Sanji asked.

"This creature...I don't feel any hunger from it…"

"Oh. I see," Sanji said. A polite smile crossed his lips, "It's just a glutton then."

Thwack!

Sanji's leg sailed upwards while the cook held the plate perfectly balanced in one hand. His heel hit right where Luffy's fist had landed originally and sent the sea cow back into the water.

"What happened to that love you had?!" Yosaku shouted but Sanji didn't hear him. He was too busy getting ready for his next move.

The sea cow came charging at them and Sanji leapt into the air. "Collier Shoot!" His kick went straight into the center of the sea cow's neck. It rendered the creature unconscious and it went back into the water for the last time.

Sanji landed on the boat and he stuffed his hands into his pocket. "Damn hippo," he cursed as he returned to the table with the plate of meat and offered it to Emmy, "Seconds, Emmy-chan?"

"I'm full. Thank you," Emmy said.

"Alright! More for me!" Luffy cheered.

"You're all crazy…" Yosaku groaned but then he sat himself down at the table, "But that's why I came back to get you, Big Bro Luffy. Big Sis Nami is heading right towards the infamous pirate, Arlong. She might even be at his compound as we speak!"

"Arlong?" Luffy and Sanji asked.

"Arlong," Emmy said softly. She had heard that name in the newspaper before but she couldn't remember why. Her daily readings with Dadan consisted of so many names and dates it was very hard for Emmy to keep track of everything. The fact that she even remembered Arlong's name meant something about him stood out but Emmy couldn't put her finger on it just yet.

"Yes. Big Sis Nami had been staring at his bounty poster ever since you went to work at the Baratie, Big Bro Luffy. She's definitely after his 20 million bounty!" Yosaku said.

"No. You're wrong," Emmy stated.

"Eh?" Yosaku asked.

"Nami-san isn't going after Arlong-san," Emmy said and she looked at her brother, "She's returning to him."

"What?" Yosaku gasped while Luffy just tilted his hat over his eyes and nodded at his sister.

"Yosaku. Tell me about Arlong," Luffy said, "What do you know of him?"

"Arlong...Arlong is a fishman who used to rampage throughout the Grand Line," Yosaku said. He was slightly confused by what the girl had said about Big Sis Nami returning to a dangerous pirate but he continued on anyways. Big Bro Luffy needed to know what he was getting himself into.

"Fishman?" Luffy repeated.

"Ahhh," Sanji sighed, "I hear the mermaids on Fishman Island in the Grand Line are absolutely beautiful."

"They are," Emmy said, "And the merman are just as attractive."

"Really?!" Sanji swooned and he clasped Emmy's hands in between his, "You've seen them. Emmy-chan?! Have you been to Fishman Island?"

"No. I've never been to Fishman Island," Emmy said slowly, "I've just seen Fishmen and mermaids on display."

"Display? Like a dance performance?" Sanji asked, too hypnotized by his own imagination to notice the tense look on the fellow blonde's face, "Oh, That must be a sight to behold."

"Emmy!" Luffy called out from the side and he held out a sketchbook with a doodle of a fish with four legs scrawled over it, "Look! Is this what a Fishman looks like?'

Emmy took one look at the drawing and started to giggle. "No," she said.

Sanji burst into laughter too. "That's a masterpiece, Luffy."

Luffy grinned at his sister, happy to have made her smile instead of nervous.

"You guys are too relaxed!" Yosaku lectured, "Ugh! It looks like I have to start from the very beginning. On the Grand Line, there are three powers-"

"The Shichibukai, also known as the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the Marines, and the Yonko, also known as the Four Emperors in the New World," Emmy interrupted and smoothed out her apron.

"Oh, so you do know?" Yosaku asked.

"Warlord?" Luffy repeated and wrinkled his nose, "You said something about that earlier too, Emmy...What was that about?"

"The Shichibukai are basically 7 government-authorized pirates. Mihawk-san was one of them. The Warlords are allowed to go on their pirating ways as long as they give some of their cut to the government. They are also strong enough for the Marines to call upon to help take out other pirates," Emmy said.

"In other pirates' eyes, they're no more than 'government dogs' but they're strong," Yosaku added, "And one of the Shichibukai is Jimbei, a Fishman pirate just like Arlong."

Emmy stiffened. That's why I remembered his name...Arlong-san the Fishman Pirate...just like Jimbei-san...and the legendary hero, Fisher Tiger-san…I wonder if Arlong-san ever knew Fisher Tiger-san and the Sun Pirates...Is he freeing slaves as well? Is that why Nami-san went to him? No...It didn't feel like she was looking at a savior back when she first saw his bounty poster...It was definitely a master. So...Arlong-san isn't like Fisher Tiger-san then…But as a Fishman, shouldn't he understand the pain of being forced-

"Emmy-chan?"

"Lil Sis Emmy?"

"Oy! Emmy!"

Thwack!

Emmy jolted out of her thoughts by the warm sensation of Luffy's forehead suddenly butting hard against hers.. She leaned back her head and looked past Luffy's to see that the other two were staring at her with confusion.

"Are you okay? You seemed to have spaced out when Yosaku was talking about Arlong and Arlong Park," Sanji asked and then glared at Yosaku, "Oy, you bastard. Watch what you say in front of the little lady, alright? She's delicate and-"

"It's fine," Emmy said and then she lowered her head to push back against Luffy's, albeit much more gently than he did to her. "I'm fine."

Luffy grinned with satisfaction and then marched back to the table, returning to his meal.

Emmy took a deep breath and smiled. "Actually, speaking of Fishman and Fishman Island, that reminds me of something. I heard a rumor that pirates used large sea kings to pull their ships to Fishman Island. Why don't we use the sea cow to get to Nami-san faster?"

"Oooh!" Luffy leapt to his feet and scrambled around to find some rope, "Let's ride the sea cow!"


	27. I am Not Nami.

**Ch 27 - I am not Nami.**

"To Arlong Park! Let's go!" Luffy cheered as he stood on top of the bowsprit. The rubber boy's balance was something to behold since he managed to secure his footing despite how heavily the boat skidded across the waves. They had managed to rope in the sea cow, which was swimming at top speed towards Arlong Park. They weren't sailing as much as they were bouncing behind their monstrous mount, "NAMI! We're coming!"

On the horizon, the island began to appear. As they got closer, Emmy could see a red brick wall lining up right along the coast. Behind it stood lush green palm trees and matching green hills. At the center of it all, just slightly beyond the stone wall was a towering building that made the blood drain from Emmy's face.

 _Sabaody Park?_ , she thought as she took several steps back. She tripped over her own feet and fell right on her rear. Her eyes stayed locked on the building and a cold shiver ran down her spine, _What is it doing here?_

"Emmy-chan?"

Emmy gasped as she felt Sanji's hand on her shoulder and instinctively, she jerked away. Her terrified eyes met his confused ones and she quickly averted her gaze.

"I'm fine…" she said and slowly got up to her feet.

Sanji offered her a hand to stand up but she ignored it. She smoothed out her apron and took a deep breath before looking back up at the building again.

They had gotten close enough for Emmy to see that even though the building's shape did resemble the iconic landmark of a place that still haunted Emmy's memories, it was not exactly like it. The colors of the building were different and there were no amusement park rides.

_This isn't Sabaody and we came to get Nami-san and Merry-san back. This isn't Sabaody and we came to get Nami-san and Merry-san back. This isn't Sabaody and we came to get Nami-san and Merry-san back._

Sanji ashed his cigarette over the side of the boat as he kept a wary eye on the girl. When Emmy had stumbled, she had also caught the attention of the rubber boy. He had almost fallen into the water to get to her but when he saw that Sanji was there, he had grinned at the cook before going back to staring at the horizon. It seemed even though his captain knew what was bothering his sister, he was leaving it up to Sanji to handle it.

 _Idiot. How am I supposed to help the little lady without knowing what's going on?_ , Sanji thought as he looked over at her. If she kept smoothing her apron out any more, Sanji wouldn't be surprised if the fabric would thin enough to disappear completely. Her eyes were glued to the building ahead of them and they were unblinking. The sight of it made her nervous but Sanji was confident that the little lady had never been to this island before.

She had the same expression on her face as when they first spoke about fishmen except now it was a lot tenser. Sanji had startled her with his touch, which also caught the cook off guard. He had expected it to comfort her somewhat because her brother had done something similar to get her to relax. _Was it just Luffy then?_

Suddenly, they veered towards the right, despite the fact that the opening of the stone wall was straight ahead.

"What are you doing? Go straight" Luffy ordered the sea cow.

"It looks like Big Bro Sanji's kick has finally gotten to it," Yosaku murmured from the front of the boat, "It must have a concussion or something."

The sea cow, although losing his sense of direction and possibly sight, did not lose its speed and they were going full throttle towards the thick brick wall.

"Ah! We're going to crash!" Sanji yelled as he quickly grabbed a hold of Emmy and kept her close to his side.

_Bang!_

The sea cow slammed head first into the wall and the sudden stop flung the boat up and over the wall. To his credit, Luffy managed to stay on top of the bowsprit.

"AHHH! It's like we're flying!" Luffy cheered.

"Not 'like'. We are!" Sanji seethed.

"And now we're _crashing_!" Yosaku shrieked as the ship began to descend down to the island.

"Keep your head down and covered, Emmy-chan!" Sanji instructed as he covered her body with his and braced himself for impact.

_Boom!_

They landed with a sharp bounce that kept them pushing forward towards a wooded area, a meadow, a rice paddy field, and then a very familiar green haired swordsman.

"Ah! Zoro!" Luffy shouted happily, which made Sanji and Emmy look up from their crouched position.

"Zoro?" they asked.

"WAAAAAAA!"

They heard the swordsman's cry just before he slammed into the front of their boat. Then the boat, in turn, crashed right into the side of a steep hill and finally came to a stop.

Sanji kept his body over Emmy's while all the debris and the boat's wreckage came falling down on top of them. When it finally settled, he felt something wrap around his waist and then both he and Emmy were pulled out of the pile of splintered wood.

"We made it! We made it!" Luffy laughed. He unwound his arm from around his cook and sister and grinned at them.

"Wh-what the hell are you guys doing?!" Zoro demanded. He climbed out of the debris and bared his teeth at Luffy.

"What do you mean?" Luffy asked as he held out a hand for Emmy and helped her up, "We came for Nami and Merry, of course. Have you not found them yet?"

"You okay, Emmy-chan?" Sanji asked. He dusted off his pant legs and pulled out a new cigarette.

"I'm fine," Emmy replied and then she looked curiously at Zoro, "Where's Usopp?"

"Ah! Usopp! That's right! There's no time to waste here," Zoro grunted and he sprinted past them, "That bastard has been caught by Arlong!"

"He was killed!"

"Eh?!"

Yosaku's head popped out of the pile of wood and he, along with the pirates, gaped at Johnny, who was running towards them until he lost his energy and collapsed to his knees. "W-W-We're too late," he panted, "Big Bro Usopp is dead! He was killed...by Big Sis Nami!"

"Are you serious?!" Yosaku asked his partner.

"Ah," Johnny said with a nod, "She had us all tricked. She's been working with Arlong this whole time and she killed Big Bro Usopp so calmly too. She had us all fooled! She's rotten to the core and-"

"Shut up!" Luffy seethed. He ran to Johnny and grabbed him by the collar, "Don't you-"

"He's...not lying," Emmy whispered as she sank to her knees, "Luffy...He's not lying."

Luffy glanced over his shoulder at his sister. His eyes widened when he saw that her headband was gone and her eyes were fixated on Johnny.

"He's believing every word he says," Emmy said, "He's telling the truth."

"O-o-of course I'm telling the truth!" Johnny snapped, "I saw it with my own two eyes! She killed Big Bro Usopp!"

"Stop it!" Luffy cried, "Nami would never do something like that. She's our friend! She's our-"

"Friends? Don't make me laugh…"

Emmy stiffened as her eyes met the navigator's, who was approaching them from the other side of the rice paddy field. Nami glared at Emmy and she pointed a finger at her. "Put your headband back on, Emmy. I don't want any of your tricks."

Emmy nodded and slowly did so. Nami looked different. Not just because she had changed her clothes but also her face as well. It was cold, expressionless, and, more importantly in Emmy's eyes, it was forced. Nami may not have wanted Emmy to know what she was feeling but the navigator had no idea the extent of just how much the first mate already understood, headband or not.

"Damn you!" Johnny screamed. He got to his feet and pointed a finger at the orange haired witch, "You killed Big Bro Usopp! I saw it with my own eyes. Don't deny it!"

"Why would I?" Nami said and she twirled her wooden staff, "If you want revenge, come and kill me then."

"What?" Johnny gasped.

Nami leaned her staff against her shoulder. "I'll tell you this much. Arlong wants to kill Roronoa Zoro and his men because Zoro just had to be stupid. No matter how monster-like you guys are, you're no match for real monsters. If you hang around this island, you _will_ wind up being killed."

She scoffed. "Not that it matters to me though."

"Ah! Nami-san! Your cool look is so enchanting too! Do you remember me? Hi! Let's go sail out together!" Sanji swooned from the sidelines.

The swordsman scowled at him in a mix of annoyance and disbelief. "You're really going to do that now? Things are complicated as it is!"

"So what?" Sanji sniffed, "Love is always a hurricane."

Emmy ignored the antics of the two. "Nami-san, where's Usopp?" she asked quietly.

"Bottom of the sea," Nami said.

"Why you…" Zoro snarled. He ran forward with his hand on his sword only to take two steps back to avoid getting a kick from the new cook.

"A swordsman would even strike a lady, Roronoa Zoro?" Sanji asked.

"What? You don't even realize what's going on, do you?!" Zoro snapped.

"Stop it!" Emmy ordered, "There's a time and a place for that and it is not here and certainly not now."

"That's right," Nami agreed, "If you're going to fight, could you do it off the island?"

"Nami-san," Emmy said. Her voice softened and she returned her gaze to the navigator, "You're trying very hard to save our lives."

Nami's eyes widened at Emmy's statement and then it quickly narrowed again. "I'm just trying to get you outsiders to butt out of this island's business. How do you not get it?! The only reason I got close to you was for the money! Now that you're flat broke, you have no charm whatsoever."

She folded her arms across her chest and that's when Emmy noticed the tattoo engraved on her shoulder. It was of a saw-nosed shark with its tail curled around it's head in a swirling pattern.

"Is that your mark, Nami-san?" she asked quietly.

Nami stiffened and her hand went over to cover it but then it clenched into a fist when she realized what she was about to do. "Yes. This mark means I am part of the Arlong Pirates. This should be proof enough of where my loyalty lies," Nami said.

"Nami-san," Emmy said.

"What?!"

"You know the scar I have on my back?"

"Yeah?"

"That's _my_ mark but it's not a symbol of loyalty. Neither is yours."

"Why you…" Nami gripped her staff so tightly that her knuckles turned white. "You think you understand my situation. You think you know what I'm going through-"

"I do know."

"Then tell me this!" Nami shouted, "If you do understand, then you know how hard it is to break your so-called chains. So tell me. How are you planning to break my chains if you can't even break yours?!"

"I told you already," Emmy said calmly, "We'll break it together."

Nami almost snapped her staff in half just so she had something to throw at the girl. "Listen. Just give it up! I'll be generous and let you have your ship back! So just go and find a navigator somewhere and go into the Grand Line. Go look for the One Piece and just get the hell away from me. You're an eyesore."

"Oy! Emmy!"

Emmy broke her gaze to look at her brother, who stared at her, then the navigator, before closing his eyes. Without warning, Luffy fell to his back with his arms and legs spread open. "I'm going to sleep now."

"Sleep?! How can you sleep at a time like this?" Johnny and Yosaku cried but their protests did not faze the captain in the slightest.

_Zzzzzz._

"He really is sleeping and in the middle of the road too!" Sanji couldn't help but marvel at this amazing feat.

Emmy turned and smiled apologetically at Nami. "I guess even if we did decide to leave, we won't be leaving right away."

"Fine. FINE! Whatever! Do whatever the hell you want! Go ahead and die!" Nami screamed at them, "See if I care!"

Nami turned around and sprinted back to wherever it was she came from. Sanji started to run after her but Emmy held out her arm to block his way.

"Let her go," Emmy said and then walked over to Luffy to kneel by his head, "We stay with the captain."

Zoro sighed and sat down in a cross legged position. "Alright. Let's just wait for Luffy to wake up."

"Eh?! You guys are really going to stay here?" Yosaku gasped, "Arlong is out to kill us so why aren't we running away?!"

"That's right!" Johnny said, "And you already heard what Nami had to say! There's no reason for staying on this island!"

"No reason?" Zoro replied, "There's two."

"Two?!" the bounty hunters exclaimed.

Zoro nodded and pointed at Luffy and Emmy. " _He's_ staying here and the second in command has ordered us to stay as well."

"Don't tell us you still want to get Nami back, Big Bro Zoro!" Yosaku gasped incredulously.

"I have nothing to do with it. _He_ decides who the navigator is, not me," Zoro said.

"V-v-very well," Johnny said and nudged Yosaku with his elbow. The pair of them bowed to the pirates.

"It was a short reunion," Yosaku said, "But our role as guides end here."

"Take care," Zoro replied, unaffected by their decision. He had a feeling that was going to happen anyways.

"Thank you for your help," Emmy added with a solemn nod.

The two bounty hunters made their way down the road towards the coast, leaving the pirates to their thoughts. Emmy stared at the sleeping captain. Zoro leaned his swords against his shoulders and closed his eyes for a moment of meditation. Sanji studied the first mate as he sat against the trunk of a nicely shaded tree.

"Emmy-chan," Sanji said, "This might be a very bold question but...what was your life like when you were living in the Grand Line?"

"In a nutshell?" Emmy said and reached down to hold Luffy's hand, "Hell."

Sanji and Zoro both shared a solemn expression over the first mate's head but they said nothing. They both had their concerns but it wasn't the time to deal with it. One problem at a time.

"Emmy-chan...do you know why Nami-san was crying?" Sanji asked.

"She was crying?" Zoro asked.

"In her heart she was," Sanji said.

"Pfft, what nonsense."

"I didn't ask for your opinion. I was asking the little lady's," Sanji said.

"Maybe it was tears of grief for killing Usopp."

"What part of 'I didn't ask for your opinion' did you not understand?"

Emmy sighed. "Do you honestly believe Nami-san killed Usopp, Zoro?"

Sanji grinned at Emmy while Zoro looked baffled by her comment. "But...you just said that Johnny wasn't lying when he-"

"He did see Nami-san kill Usopp," Emmy said, "Or at least that's what he thought he saw...he believed it to be true, which is why it didn't feel like lying to me when he said it."

"Then how do you know it's not true then? That Nami didn't kill Usopp?" Zoro asked.

"I didn't get that feeling from her," Emmy said.

"What feeling?" Zoro asked.

"That feeling one gets when they kill someone they genuinely cared about," Emmy replied.

Sanji's cigarette fell from his lips and Zoro's head jerked towards the first mate's. "Oy, Emmy. How would you know what that feeling-" Zoro started to ask.

"AH! Emmy! Zoro! Sanji! Eh? Is that Luffy? Oh my god! Is Luffy dead?! AHHHHH!"

"Huh?"

The three pirates turned to see their frantic and very alive sniper racing towards them with a horrified expression. He skidded on his knees towards the fallen captain and held him tightly to his chest. "Ahhhh! Luffy! You were too young to die! When we flee this island, I shall tell everyone of how bravely you fought against the terrible Arlong," Usopp sobbed.

"Wait. You wouldn't want to avenge him?" Sanji asked, lifting a curled eyebrow as he got up to his feet.

"Not the point. Luffy's not dead, Usopp, and neither are you," Zoro grumbled.

"Why don't you sound happy about that?!" Usopp couldn't help but ask.

"Eh?" All this commotion woke up the sleeping captain and he blinked up at his curly haired friend.

"USOPP!" Luffy cheered, wrapping his arms around Usopp's neck multiple times and pulling him in for a tight hug, "Yay! You're not dead!"

"C-c-c-can't...breathe…" Usopp choked out.

"Luffy, you should let him go. He's turning blue," Emmy said patiently.

"Shishishishi. Sorry!" Luffy chuckled and loosened his hold. Then he frowned at Emmy, "See? Johnny was talking nonsense after all. You got it wrong, Emmy!"

"I guess so," Emmy said with an apologetic smile. It was just easier to let Luffy think that instead of explaining the nuances of honesty and truthfulness, "Sorry."

"What are you talking about?" Usopp asked.

"Johnny told us that Nami killed you," Zoro said.

"Oh...well...it's actually the exact opposite," Usopp said, "Nami saved my life. She made it look like she killed me so that Arlong wouldn't chase after me."

"Wooo. Nami-swan is so clever!" Sanji swooned.

"She's not here to hear that. You don't need to suck up to her when she's not around," Zoro grunted.

"What did you say?!"

Emmy took a deep breath and then she simultaneously grabbed both the swordsman and the cook by the ears and tugged them down so that their ears were at the same level as her mouth. "Stop. It. Now. Please."

"Yes, Emmy-chan," Sanji winced.

"Okay. Okay. Just let go already!" Zoro grunted.

Emmy nodded and then released their lobes. She then smiled at Usopp. "Please continue."

"Oh...right," Usopp said as Luffy laughed at how red Zoro's ear had gotten, which earned him a glare from the swordsman, "She stabbed her own hand to make it look like it was my blood and then tripped me so that I fell into the water. I guess it was a good enough act to fool Johnny, who I didn't even realize was watching. So that's how Nami pretended to kill me and let me escape. It looks like to me there's a reason why Nami is in a fishmen pirate group."

"Tch, obviously," Sanji said.

"So what do we do?" Zoro asked and he turned to Luffy, "Do we storm Arlong Park?"

"H-Hold on! We gotta find out what the story with Nami first!" Usopp hurriedly said, "We need to get all the information before we decide on what to do next."

"It doesn't matter what you guys do," came a new voice, "It's no use."

They turned to see a woman walking over to them. She was slightly tan with short, light blue hair and a blue tattoo on her left shoulder. It looked similar to Nami's but her tattoo was mostly just swirls and dots and not in the shape of a shark.

"Nojiko!" Usopp gasped.

"Who's that?" Luffy asked.

"Nami's big sister," Usopp answered.

Immediately, Emmy felt the pink in Sanji flare up again and his heart eyes bulged out.

"N-Nami-san's older sister? No wonder she's so beautiful!" Sanji cried.

"This is no time to be feeling foolish, Sanji," Emmy sighed and noticed that Zoro let out a snort of laughter. Then he nodded approvingly at her.

"Please don't get anymore involved with this village," Nojiko called out, "Leave Nami alone and I'll explain the circumstances."

"You mean why she has joined Arlong's group?" Usopp asked.

Nojiko nodded. "You'll feel like leaving the island after hearing this though."

"Alright," Usopp said, "Let's hear this reason or whatever then."

Emmy felt Luffy's hand grab her by the wrist and he walked forward, straight past Nojiko, while pulling her along. "I'll pass," he said, "Emmy too."

It was another random act from the captain but it only took the sniper by surprise. "O-oy!" Usopp called after Luffy and Emmy, "You two don't want to hear this?"

"I don't care about her past," Luffy said and then he paused in his step to wait for Emmy to give her reason.

She glanced over her shoulder and smiled apologetically at Nojiko. "I'm sorry, Nojiko-san, but I am waiting for Nami-san to tell me all this herself."

"You might wait forever," Nojiko warned as Luffy went back on his way.

"I might not," Emmy replied back while quickening her step to walk beside Luffy, instead of behind him.

"Where are you guys going, Luffy?" Sanji called out.

"A walk," Luffy said.

"You guys _really_ aren't going to listen?" Usopp asked.

"Yep. We'll pass." The rubber boy didn't even look back once. The only added movement he made was to lower his hand down from Emmy's wrist to her hand so that his fingers laced together with hers.

They walked for awhile in silence before Luffy spoke first. "Emmy...you're not Nami. You two are not the same."

"I know," Emmy said.

She felt his fingers tighten around hers. "I will become the King of Pirates," he said.

"I know."

"And you will become the freest person in the world."

Emmy smiled and squeezed his hand back. "I'm already pretty free now, Luffy."

That seemed to make Luffy relax and he grinned. "But you'll definitely be free when we find the One Piece."

Emmy nodded. "Ah. Definitely."

They walked again in silence for another few minutes but this time the silence was much more comfortable. They walked past another set of rice paddy fields. It would've been a relaxing and quite pleasant stroll for Emmy if not for the weighted ambiance around her.

Anxiety and despair clung in the air and was not something Emmy could easily shake off. The fact that they had walked so far and had yet to see another person made her feel anxious herself. If there weren't that many people inhabiting the island, then the intensity of the atmosphere was coming from the extremeness of their emotions and not because of a dense population.

_Why do you call this home, Nami-san? You could've left with us and never come back. So why return to this? Is it for your sister? Or something more?_

They spotted four fishman standing in the middle of the road. The group consisted of an octopus fishman, a ray fishman, a smelt fishman, and a red and white goldfish fishman. Both Monkeys batted their eyes at them but did not change the pace in their step. Emmy was a little tense at first by how much scrutiny they were aiming at her but then she saw that the octopus had the symbol of a sun burned onto his forehead. _A fishman with a sun mark. He's affiliated to the Sun Pirates._

She started to relax and her brother noticed the change in her demeanor.

"So those are fishmen, huh?" Luffy asked under his breath.

"Ah," Emmy replied and she nodded politely at the four fishmen as they passed by, "Good afternoon."

The fishmen seemed much more curious about them than anything else. The octopus, especially, even felt nice and good natured which really put Emmy at ease.

"Ah! Good afternoon to you too!" the octopus called out with a slight wave.

The goldfish, who was significantly shorter than his group but made up for with eyes nearly triple their size, suddenly smacked the octopus across the chest with the back of his webbed hand. "Don't forget why we're out here!" he scolded in a low, gurgling voice and then he aimed his large eyes at the Monkeys, who had started to walk away, "Wait! You two! Stop right there!"

Luffy and Emmy stopped and turned to look back at the school of fishman. "What's up?" Luffy asked.

"State your names!" the goldfish demanded, "And what are you doing here?"

"I'm Luffy."

"Ah! And I'm Emmy. We're just going for a walk," Emmy said.

"A walk?" The group was taken aback by her casual response but then the octopus pulled out a handkerchief and his eyes crinkled into a smile.

"Okay. Then have fun!" the octopus called out and waved at them with all six of his hands.

"Where are you guys headed?" the ray fishman asked.

"Heck if we know," Luffy said, "C'mon, Emmy."

Emmy's smile turned apologetic and she gave a slight bow before turning to face the road herself. "Luffy," she said, "Be nice."

"Sorry," Luffy replied, "Just in a bad mood. I don't like this place. I want to hurry up, kick Arlong's ass, and then we can go to the Grand Line."

"I know," Emmy said, "But we'll have to wait for Nami-san's to ask us to help. It's not our fight yet."

Luffy frowned and Emmy bumped her head on his shoulder to get him to look at her. He turned to her and she poked his cheek. "Food! Fight! Feel!"

That got him to smile a little. "Food. Fight. Feel."

* * *

Beside the rice paddies, the fishmen looked at each other.

"Just who are those guys?" the smeltfish asked.

"They walked by us with no fear whatsoever," the rayfish grunted.

"Not the girl, at first," the goldfish said with his eyes unblinking, "Didn't you notice? She was scared until she saw Hatchi."

The three looked at the fishman in question who blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "Me? Do you think she finds me handsome?"

"Idiot," the goldfish blubbered, "It's not your face. It's your mark!"

The rayfish raised an eyebrow but kept his arms folded firmly across his chest. "What are you saying, Wakin*?"

"How much are the rewards for returned slaves nowadays?" Wakin asked with a grin, "We should let Brother Arlong know that a cash cow just arrived on our island."

"Cow?" the octopus asked, "Did Mohmoo come back already? I wonder where he had wandered off to. He missed lunch time."

* * *

Luffy and Emmy arrived at the edge of a town. It was a small town with everything lined along one main street, which was the road that he and Emmy were walking on. Luffy froze in his steps when he saw a man walking down the road with a group of marines behind him. Luffy's eyes widened and he began to sweat.

Emmy tilted her head and studied her brother's feelings. _He's...excited? From the marines?_

Then she followed his gaze and realized he wasn't staring at any person. He was staring at a spinning yellow pinwheel that was attached to a man's brown cap.

"Why does that old guy have a pinwheel on his head?" Luffy gasped, "So cool!"

Emmy laughed out of both amusement and relief. Her brother's spirits had picked back up again. "Do you want to put a pinwheel on your straw hat?"

"Maybe," Luffy said with a grin. He dropped his hold on Emmy's hand to put two hands behind his head. He looked up at the sky as he continued down the road. He stared wondrously at the clouds and imagined what it would be like to have a pinwheel on his head, "Then when I sit on my seat, it can spin as the Merry sails."

Then he let out an even louder gasp. "We should put a pinwheel on _Merry's_ head!"

Emmy laughed even harder as she followed next to him. "Okay. We'll ask Usopp once we get back to make one but I don't know if Merry-san would appreciate it."

"But she's a ship," Luffy said with a frown.

"Not that Merry-san," Emmy replied, "Kaya-sama's butler."

"Oh yeah...him," Luffy said and then he shrugged, "But it's my ship. I'm the captain so it's my call."

"That's true," Emmy said.

Then Luffy turned sharply to the left without notice and sat himself down under a nice shady tree in between two houses. It took a moment for Emmy to realize he was gone. Once she did and joined him by the tree, a large grin was planted on his face with his hands tucked firmly behind his head.

"Are you still thinking about the pinwheel?" Emmy asked.

"Yep," Luffy said, "I like how it spins."

"That's it's purpose, after all," Emmy said and leaned her head on his shoulder. Then a thought occurred to her and she smiled, "Luffy. Guess what?"

"Ah?"

"Tonight is a full moon," she said.

"Oooh yeah."

"Let's look at it with the others tonight. Zoro...Usopp...Sanji...Merry-san...and…Nami-san…"

"Shishishishi. Okay."

* * *

 **A/N:** Yes, Wakin is an OC. ;P


	28. I am Swapping Stories.

"Doctor! Doctor!"

Emmy and Luffy had been lounging away, chatting about everything and nothing at the same time when the sudden bustling of people around them put their conversation to a stop. A cluster of people had gathered in front of her and Luffy. Somewhere in the center of the group, Emmy spotted a familiar tuft of orange hair. Emmy straightened up her back to get a better look. Nami was kneeling down amongst the crowd but Emmy couldn't see what was at her feet.

From the other side of the road, an old man came rushing over. He had on sunglasse and a white doctor's coat. "Gen-san!" he gasped, "What's wrong?"

"Nojiko's been shot!"

Nami's frantic shout made Emmy and Luffy scramble to their feet and run towards the center of the group. Albeit, they came with very different intentions and attitudes as each other.

"Nojiko-san! Where are you hurt?" Emmy asked as she squeezed herself towards the center of the group.

"Oy! Nami! What's up?" Luffy shouted at the same time and with a wide grin, "Need help with anything?"

Naturally, the orange haired girl turned to the more infuriating of the two Monkeys. She grabbed Luffy by the collar. "Why are _you_ still here? This has nothing to do with you! Just leave the island already!" she screamed and then tossed him aside.

There was no stopping Nami as she ran down the road and Emmy had no intention of doing so. She looked over at Luffy, who dusted himself off and pouted at Emmy. "What's her deal?"

Emmy shook her head. "Not now, Luffy," she said and looked down at Nojiko. She was shot in the shoulder and the blood was pouring over her blue tattoo.

Emmy turned to the man who had called for the doctor. It was the man with the pinwheel hat. "Did the bullet go straight through?"

"Eh? What-"

"Did it go straight through?!" Emmy asked.

"Y-Y-Yes, it did," he stammered, "But why are you asking? And who are you?"

"I'm Nami-san's friend and I'm here to help," Emmy said before pulling off her headband and putting her hands on Nojiko. "Feel Feel...Pain Trade."

"A friend of Nami's?" the man asked in disbelief.

Blood bloomed out from Emmy's blue sleeve as Nojiko's wound closed. Emmy winced and her hand automatically went up to cover her new injury as Nojiko sat up in surprise, bringing her own hand to touch her once wounded shoulder.

"What?! What just happened?!" Nojiko gasped.

"I took your wound for you," Emmy said and smiled through gritted teeth, "It's...part of my Devil Fruit power…"

"Emmy!" Luffy came running over to his sister and bounced on the balls of his feet, "Well? Well? Did it heal? Did it heal?"

Emmy removed her hand from her shoulder and rolled up her puffed sleeves for Luffy to see. "What do you think?"

Luffy smeared part of the blood away with his thumb to reveal Emmy's smooth and reformed skin. He grinned at her. "All gone."

Emmy smiled and returned her headband back to her head. Then her eyes met the stunned ones of Nami's older sister. "That's also part of my Devil Fruit power."

"Who are you?!" the man in the pinwheel demanded.

"Like I said, I'm Nami-san's friend," Emmy said and pulled her sleeve back down. She made a mental note to ask for a cup of rice from Sanji. Rubbing rice and water over fabric was always a good way to take out bloodstains, "More importantly, Nojiko-san, who shot you?"

"The navy…," the man in the pinwheel grunted, "Arlong has been working with the navy. He never intended to honor the agreement he made with Nami 8 years ago."

The townspeople did not take that information well.

"That bastard!"

"He lied to our Nacchan!"

Luffy helped Emmy up to her feet and she dusted off her apron. Then they silently walked back towards the tree while the townspeople decided on what to do next. The rising mob was too preoccupied with their outrage to pay any attention to the siblings.

"No fair. You said we couldn't help Nami until she asked for it," Luffy pouted.

"Doesn't count. I was helping Najiko-san. Besides, we weren't fighting," Emmy replied, "But it feels like we'll soon be able to."

"Really? Why? What happened?" Luffy asked.

"I'm not sure but it seems whatever agreement has bound Nami-san to Arlong-san is no longer in place. So that's one less chain for us to worry about," Emmy said and then she sighed, "I can't believe the navy is involved in this. What do you think Gramps would say if he were here?"

"Who knows," Luffy said with a shrug, "He'll probably just ask if you'd want a rice cracker."

Emmy smiled. "I do love those rice crackers…"

They sat back and watch the townspeople get up in arms about the recent developments. They brought out all kinds of things from their homes that remotely resembled weapons. Shovels. Hoes. Rakes. Kitchen knives tied to the ends of broom handles.

"It seems they've chosen to fight," Emmy said.

"Ah," Luffy replied.

"Eight years ago, we swore not to throw our live away! No matter how painful or insulting it was to be ruled by them, we swore to fight the patient fight as long as Nami was cheerful," the man with the pinwheel shouted, "Now that our village's freedom is gone, we have no hope! More than that! We must make those fishman pay for toying with Nami's kindness!"

"Ah!" the townspeople cried back.

"Wait! Everybody!"

Emmy and Luffy sat forward a bit and watched the orange haired girl run back into town.

"Wait!" Nami said again with a grin fixated on her face, "It's fine. I'll just work hard and save up the money again. Don't worry! I'm used to it! I'll be fine. There's no need to worry at all! This is nothing compared to when they first arrived...So it'll be fine. I'll be fine!"

"Enough!" The man in the pinwheel hat wrapped his arms around Nami's head and stilled her. "You can stop now," he said softly, "Even you know there's no point now...You fought very well, carrying our lives on your back all this time. Joining them must've been so painful for you. You've fought well…"

Tears filled Nami's eyes and slipped down her face as he took a step back. "Gen-san…" Nami whispered.

"Leave the village now," Gen said.

"Do it, Nami," Nojiko added.

"What? Even you, Nojiko?" Nami gasped and then she noticed Nojiko's arm, "Your arm!"

"Your friend came to help," Nojiko said and Nami looked frantically around her to see who Nojiko was referring to. Her eyes locked with Emmy's, who nodded solemnly at her.

Nami then turned back to her sister, who held firm to what she had said.

"You're crafty," Nojiko said, "And you have a dream. You have friends who are willing to protect you and help you fulfill your ambition so you should go with them."

"No! I won't leave and I'm not going to let you guys go either!" Nami said and she held out a short blade in front of her, "Stop it, everyone! I don't want to see anybody else get hurt. If you go...you'll die."

"We know," Gen said and reached over to grab the weapon from her, placing his hand directly on the blade. Nami was so startled by this that she immediately loosened her hold and the blade dropped to the ground.

Gen turned to face the townspeople again and he drew his sword. "Even if we can't win, let's show'em what we're made of!"

"AHHHH!" the townspeople roared as they all rushed past Nami and towards Arlong Park.

Nami sank to her knees and she stared up at the clear blue sky. It was so open and sunny yet she felt stifled and lost. There was no light in her life. There was no hope. Blinding rage took over the orange haired girl. Her eyes fell on the cursed mark on her shoulder and she reached for the blade by her feet.

"ARLONG!" she seethed as she stabbed the mark over and over again, "Arlong! Arlong! Arlong! Ar-"

She was stopped by a sudden hand on her wrist, holding it up in the air while the intruder's other hand took her knife and tossed it aside. She turned her head and stared up at the boy in the straw hat.

"Luffy," Nami whispered as he released his hold and her hand fell limply into her lap. She hung her head and and balled her fingers into fists, "What do you want? You don't even know anything. You don't even know what happened on this island 8 years ago."

"Yep, I don't know," Luffy agreed.

"I told you to leave this island and just leave me alone," Nami said as her hand reached over to grab a fistful of dirt.

"Yep, you told me."

Nami flung the dirt backwards hoping that it would at least hit him in the face. At least have something go right today. "Leave! I don't need you! Leave! Leave! Leave! Leave! Leave!"

She hunched over her knees and her tears started to fall right onto the dirt road. She had lost everything she ever treasured. Her mother. Her home. And now she was about to lose her sister, Gen, and the entire town. She felt hopeless but...she didn't feel alone.

"Luffy…" Nami whimpered and turned back to face the boy again, "Help me…"

Luffy silently reached to his head, pulled off his hat and put it on his navigator's head.

He then walked a couple steps down the road, puffed up his chest, and then punched his fists in the air. "OF COURSE I WILL!"

"Luffy…" Nami gasped as her hands reached up to touch his treasure. A treasure he was willing to share with her. Her eyes travelled further down the road.

She spotted a green haired swordsman sitting casually on a bench while a blonde cook smoked against the side of a building. A curly haired sniper sat solemnly on the ground while a girl in a white apron politely bowed her head when her eyes met the navigator's.

"Emmy, you take care of Nami," Luffy ordered in a stern and clear voice, "Guys, let's go."

"AH!" his nakama called back.

The boys headed off towards Arlong Park while Emmy calmly walked to Nami. She held out her hand towards the crying orange hair. "Navigator-san," Emmy said with a soft smile, "Where should we go?"

"E...Emmy," Nami breathed as she took the girl's hand. She couldn't stop her tears and there was only one place she knew that made her feel slightly better, no matter how awful things always seemed to get, "I...I want to go home."

"Okay," Emmy said and helped Nami up to her feet. The navigator couldn't help but notice that the girl's hand might be smaller than hers but it was very warm, "Please lead the way."

Nami cried the whole way home and Emmy did not say a word. They reached the tangerine grove and even passed by the hole which used to house all of Nami's hard earned treasure. Still, Emmy did not say a word. They got to the front of the house where the first window was smashed open from Nami's earlier tantrum yet Emmy remained silent. Only when they entered the house did the first mate finally say something.

"Please forgive me for bothering you," she said at the opened doorway and bowed to no one and nothing in particular.

"Who...are you talking to?" Nami sniffled as she went over to a cabinet and pulled out some gauze.

"Your house," Emmy replied, "I can heal your arm for you if you-"

"No," Nami said, "You've done enough."

"At least let me wrap it for you then," Emmy said and pulled out a chair by a dining table for Nami to sit. Then she brought a chair over to Nami and began to wrap up her cut up arm. If Emmy noticed the broken plates and toppled furniture scattered around the house, she kept it to herself.

"Who were you talking to?" Nami asked quietly again, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"I think a place that holds a lot of emotional value, houses some emotions themselves."

"Who told you that?" Nami scoffed, "The moon?"

"Kinda," Emmy said with a smile, "The doctor who taught me about the moon, actually."

"So you were raised by a doctor?"

"No," Emmy replied, "I was raised by a household staff."

"What are you saying? That you're some sort of rich heiress?"

"No. Quite the opposite," Emmy said, "I was sold into servitude before I could even remember what my parents looked like."

Emmy smiled at Nami's stunned expression. "Apparently, it is common practice in the island I was born in. Nothing to be shocked over. At least, not in this part of the story."

"There's more?" Nami asked.

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours," Emmy said, "But I can go first, if that'll help."

Telling the girl to get the hell away and just let her cry in peace was on the tip of Nami's tongue. However, she just couldn't bring herself to say it. She was slightly surprised at herself for not actually minding the girl's company. "Fine," she finally said, "You might as well finish what you started."

Emmy nodded and returned her attention to Nami's bandages while she talked. "I served a house where there was a lord and a lady. They had no children. The lady of the house hated children and did not want to ruin her thin figure over something she disliked."

"Yet they bought a child like you to serve them?"

"They hated children so much that they found joy in hurting them," Emmy said, "I was one of many children in the staff. You asked who raised me and I said the staff, which wasn't entirely true. The housekeeper and butler taught me the correct protocols and rules of etiquette for high society, the cook taught me how to make basic meals in case the kitchen ever needed another set of hands, and well...the lord and lady…they taught me something too."

"What?"

"They taught me how to smile even when I felt like crying. To look calm even when inside I was terrified. To look pleased even when inside I was repulsed and disgusted...It's something you've learned how to do as well, yes?"

"...Yeah…"

Emmy finished tying up the bandage and then she leaned back in her seat. "The doctor who taught me about the moon also taught me how to cry. She only spent a year at the house. It was too much for her to take care of badly beaten children while knowing full well she was powerless to take them away. Since she wasn't technically a servant, she was free to go."

"Were you sad when she left?"

"I honestly don't know," Emmy admitted, "I was so good at suppressing my emotions at that point that I couldn't allow myself to feel right about anything. Happy felt sad to me. Anger felt funny. Everything was just mixed up and then to really throw me for a loop, they force fed me the Feel Feel Fruit."

"What happened then?"

"I went mad," Emmy said, "I didn't have my headband at the time so there was no way for me to stop all the emotions that came at me. I felt the cruelty of the lord and lady. The fear, anxiety, and anger from the staff. Everything took over me and I blacked out. When I finally came to, I was in front of a group of marines and charged for mass murder."

"WHAT?!" Nami gasped.

Emmy nodded. "I either killed the entire household or compelled them to do so. Either way, I am guilty. There's no denying it. It happened because of me. Because of my powers."

"How old were you?"

"11."

"And the marines brought you to Luffy after that?"

"No," Emmy said and she smiled apologetically, "There's more. I'm afraid."

"What?! How is that possible?"

"Sheer luck," Emmy said, "A very influential group of Nobles saw my picture in the paper and became very interested in me so instead of prison, I became their slave."

"You what?!" Nami cried, "But...what kind of Nobles have that much power?!"

"Believe me. They're out there," Emmy said and then she reached up to her collar. She unbuttoned the first four buttons of her dress and then turned in her chair. She pulled down the back to show Nami her mark. Nami let out an audible gasp and Emmy waited a few moments before turning back.

"That's the symbol that I am- I _was_ \- a slave…" Emmy said and started to button back up her dress again, "My time with my new masters was not a pleasant one either. There was less torture but more death. There were many girls who served with me that I've also ended up burying."

"What...How did they die?"

"Different methods," Emmy said, "But more importantly, they died because of disobedience."

"How did you manage to escape?"

"Sheer luck again," Emmy said, "But I ended up being caught by pirates. Thankfully, my time with them got a little better. There was no torture or death. Just starvation, fear, and the occasional beating. "

"That's…better?!" Nami gasped.

"Because of my power, they always ended up throwing me in a cell and leaving me well enough alone," Emmy replied, "So yes, it was better. That is until Gramps found me...Then I met Luffy...and now I'm here."

The navigator and first mate sat in silence for a long time before Nami spoke up. "So that's your story…"

"That's my story," Emmy said, "Now tell me yours."

"Does Luffy know about this? And the others?" Nami asked instead.

"Just Luffy," Emmy replied, "Well, the basics at least. He's not very good with details."

"Yeah. I know," Nami sighed, "And yet he still wants to go to the Grand Line? And...you do too?! Why the hell do you want to go back there?"

"The same reason why you came back here even though you could've just sailed away on Merry-san with us," Emmy said with a smile, "There's something back there that I need to save."

"What?"

"My sense of self...I didn't get a name until I met Gramps. I've only been Monkey D. Emmy for a couple of years and I love being Monkey D. Emmy. I want to _only_ be Monkey D. Emmy and not a servant or a slave. If I conquer the Grand Line with Luffy, it means I've conquered my fears and my past. I would be doing this as Emmy...and not as a nameless servant."

"I see," Nami said.

"Now…" Emmy said and folded her hands in her lap, "It's your turn."

Nami looked over at an end table in the corner that had a framed picture resting on it. Emmy followed her gaze and saw a that it was a photo of a woman with two kids at her feet. The woman had red-violet hair that was long but shaved on the sides of the head leaving only her bangs and the back of her hair to grow out. She was smiling brilliantly at the photo with a cigarette balanced on her bottom lip. The two children were clearly a younger Nami and Nojiko. It was a perfect family portrait of a very happy family.

Nami took a deep breath. "My mother was a marine…"

The navigator told the first mate everything from how Bellmere had rescued Nojiko and Nami during a pirate attack from their original village to Arlong's sudden appearance in Conomi Island. Nami had the biggest grin on her face when she talked about all her lovely memories with her mother in this tangerine grove. She wept uncontrollably when she told Emmy about her argument with Bell-mere and the day Bell-mere died.

Then, finally, Nami almost broke the table with her fist when she got to the part of Arlong and the deal she made with him eight years ago. Nami could barely bring herself to choke out the fact that all of her hard work had been confiscated in the blink of an eye by the navy. She still couldn't quite get over the fact that it was all gone.

Emmy had remained quiet throughout this whole ordeal and Nami was so lost in her own story and her thoughts that she didn't even look at the girl until the very end. When she did, Nami was startled to find that Emmy was smiling at her in a way that resembled her brother. It annoyed the navigator. Who the hell would smile after hearing a tragic story like that? Was she gloating that her story ended up happily while Nami's only ended up in despair?

"What?!" Nami growled, "What are you smiling about?!"

"You're angry."

"Of course I am!" Nami shouted.

"Good," Emmy said with a nod, "So that means you still have some fight in you. That's good."

She then brought her fist up to her face. "Food! Fight! Feel! Those are the keys to living as a free person."

Emmy lowered her fist and got up from her seat. She smoothed out her apron and then looked solemnly at Nami. "So...Navigator-san, what do you say we go fight with our nakama and return that hat to our captain?"

Nami wiped the tears from her eyes and she took a deep breath. She stood up as well and grabbed her staff. Her face matched that of the first mate. Both of them resolved and set on their next move. "Yosh. I've cried enough and I've whined enough. Time to do something about it."

"Together," Emmy said and Nami nodded.

"Together."

The smile on their faces vanished as soon as Emmy opened the door and found herself staring right into the bulging eyes of the red and white goldfish fishman. His eyes narrowed and his thick lips stretched into a grin.

"I _knew_ she was tied to you in some way, Nami," the fishman gloated, "How funny that you are a thief yet you didn't know your most valuable treasure was right in front of you this whole time!"

"Wakin!" Nami gasped and held out her staff in front of her, "What are you doing here?!"

The fishman ignored the navigator and pointed a webbed finger at the girl in the apron. "You! How much were you sold for?"

"I-"

"Don't answer him, Emmy!" Nami said and glared at the fishman, "Get off of my property."

The fishman bubbled out a stream of laughter. "You still think this is your property? Shouldn't you know by now that everything on this island belongs to Brother Arlong? Just give up, Nami! You're going to be working for us for the rest of your life!"

"No," Emmy said softly but sternly and then smoothed out her apron, "Nami-san is our nakama and she'll be coming with us."

"Ha! You're in no position to talk," Wakin said, his attention back on the blonde, "I know that you're a slave and I'm cashing you in. The reward for runaways are high. Last time I checked they were three times their initial price. So how much were you sold for? Ten thousand? Twenty thousand bellis?"

"Why do you think she's a slave? Where's your proof?!" Nami demanded.

Wakin huffed and pulled off the white t-shirt he was wearing, revealing a mark matching the one on Emmy's back. "It takes one to know one. I can see it in your eyes, girly. Don't deny it."

"I'm not," Emmy replied and then pulled her headband off, "I was a slave but now I am free. I am Monkey D. Emmy and Nami is coming with me."


	29. I am Pathetic.

"Feel Feel Push!"

Emmy sent the fishman backwards and he tumbled down the stoop. As soon as his back hit the ground, Emmy made a fist at her side. "Feel Feel Pull!"

'What?!" Nami gasped as Emmy ran forward and the navigator felt herself being pulled behind the blonde.

Emmy leaped over the fishman and then flung Nami in front of her, towards the orange grove. Emmy turned her back on the navigator and her hands went into her apron pockets. Her eyes narrowed at the fishman, who was scrambling to his feet. "Run, Nami-san! Go to Luffy and the others. I'll be right behind you."

"But-"

"Go!" Emmy insisted and pulled out a fan of cards in each hand, "Let me do this. You have someone else you need to face, don't you? Please. Rely on me for this."

Nami clenched her teeth and then forced herself to turn away from Emmy. "Okay. I'll leave this to you!" she said as she sprinted towards Arlong Park. _Emmy. You can do this. I believe in you!_

Wakin brushed the dirt off his beige pants and then he ran a hand across his scaly arms. "You really think you can take me down? A lowly human like yourself?"

As his hand glided off his wrist, Emmy saw that his hand was covered in a thick, translucent slime. He grinned and flicked his fingers in her direction, causing large globs of slime to sail towards Emmy's face. "Muco Bullet!"

She gasped and leapt behind a tangerine tree to avoid getting hit. The globs landed onto the floor and formed large puddles that the ground could not absorb.

"Why are you doing this?" Emmy asked from behind the tree, feeling the disdain and anger welling up inside her opponent, "As a slave, you should know the pain of captivity. You should-"

"You think I would take pity on another human just because we shared a similar fate once before?! It's because of _your_ kind that I ended up in this state. I lost my family and my friends at the hands of humans!" Wakin howled and then he launched himself forward. The slickness of his belly, along with the puddles he had just created, allowed him to glide on the terrain towards Emmy.

She darted towards another tree but not before sending a handful of cards in his direction, which he avoided by just skidding towards the side.

"But what about Nami-san?!" Emmy asked as she looked around to see where it would be a good place to fight. She didn't want to to damage Nami's house nor this grove, "Why do this to Nami-san and this island?! Why come all the way here to attack humans?"

Wakin laughed as he got to his feet. "It is comical that a slave could be this naive. To conquer the human world, we must accumulate our power. And in the human world, what has more power than money?" He licked his lips and he pointed a finger at Emmy, "I have been around enough traders and slaves to know the value of a young, human girl. And..now that I know that you are also a Devil Fruit user, that means if I were to turn you in, we'd get at least one hundred thousand bellis for you! Maybe even three!"

The sheer greed in his heart sent shivers down Emmy's spine. If just the thought of earning that much made him that happy, she could only imagine what would happen if he discovered the true amount; the amount the auction house had appraised her for before her escape.

She took a deep breath and sprinted through the tangerine grove. _If I could just get out of here...protect Nami's home...I could…_

"Muco Bullet!"

Emmy dodged out of the way just as she unleashed another handful of cards his way. Wakin crossed his arms to protect his face and Emmy watched in horror as her cards slid right past his scales.

"It's no use! My slime membrane protects me!" he laughed.

Emmy gritted her teeth and turned quickly on her heels, trying once more to leave the grove.

"Muco Bullet!"

A shot of his slime landed right in the patch of ground in front of her. Her foot slipped and she she tumbled forward. Before she could get to her feet, Wakin's scaly foot was stomped on her chest and pinned her down.

"Haha! So feeble even when on land," he crowed, "Tell me. What's your real worth? What was the price of your last buyer? Was I right?"

Emmy's eyes narrowed and she grabbed him by the ankle only for her hand to slip off due to the slime that encased his skin.

"You really don't listen, do you? My slime protects me! You can't push me off!"

"Who...said...I was trying to push you off?" Emmy asked through gritted teeth as grabbed his foot one more time and dug her fingers in, "Feel...Feel...Pacify!"

"Eh?" Wakin gasped as a white, puffy heart engulfed his foot. As it dispersed, whisps of it floated up into his face, which instantly relaxed. His foot came off of Emmy and he sank to his knees. His arms drooped to his sides. Emmy could feel his heartbeat slowing down steadily and the anger, resentment, and greed pull away from her like a receding tide. This was only a temporary fix and Emmy knew it.

"I'm very sorry for this," Emmy said softly. She sat up and put her hands on his shoulders. "Feel Feel...Repose."

_Zzzzzzzz!_

As Wakin slept, Emmy rushed into Nami's house and brought out a rope she had spotted earlier when looking for some bandages. She bound Wakin's hands and feet together and then slowly dragged the sleeping fishman down the road. His naturally slippery skin helped her and, despite his heavy weight, she was able to move him without it being too straining.

Her headband was now back on the head but while it was off, she had felt a faraway energy that consisted of anxiety, dread, and, above all else, wrath. That could only mean that was where everyone else was.

As she headed down the road, it converged with another and soon she found Usopp running right past her.

"Usopp?!"

He skidded to a halt and turned towards her. He was bleeding all around his head and he looked pretty scuffed up but there was a giant grin on his face. "Ah! Emmy! You just missed me heroically defeating a fish-EEK! What the hell is that?!"

His happiness turned into shock and he pointed accusingly at the tied up Fishman.

"Please help," Emmy said, "I'm afraid the ropes won't hold him once he wakes up."

"Eh?! Then why didn't you leave him behind?"

"I'm afraid he might damage Nami-san's home or even the village."

"So you brought him with you?!"

"I thought maybe you guys would know what to do with him…"

"Leave him!" Usopp screeched.

"But what happens if he wakes up?"

"We'll deal with it later! All I know is that the other guys are busy trying to bring down the Fishmen and the last thing they would need is for you to bring in another one for them to deal with."

"But I-" As Emmy was trying to argue her point, a small moan escaped from Wakin's lips.

"AHHHH!" Usopp screamed as he pulled out a hammer from his bag and started to wail on the slumbering fishman, "Usopp Hammer! Usopp Hammer! Usopp Hammer!"

The sniper leapt a safe distance away and then pulled back a rubber band. "Usopp Rubber Band!"

The rubber band smacked Wakin right in the middle of his eyes and his eyelids snapped open. "Wha?! What is this?! Who are you?! How dare you-"

"AHHH!" Usopp screamed again and this time, before he could get a good grip on his hammer, Emmy stepped in. She laid a hand on the bumps that had formed on Wakin's head.

"Feel Feel Repose."

_Zzzzzzz!_

"Whew...Saved!" Usopp sighed a breath of relief while Emmy put her headband back on her head and frowned at Usopp.

"Okay. Maybe we should leave him behind," Emmy said.

"I told you!"

"Because now, when he does wake up, he's going to come after you. I don't have to worry about him damaging Nami's house."

"EEK! No! You're right. Bring him to the rest of the group. They'll know what to do!" Usopp grabbed the rope from Emmy's hands just as she was about to drop it and started to drag Wakin behind him, "Come on, Emmy! We gotta get to them fast!"

"Oh...Okay," Emmy said and hurried after the sniper.

Usopp ran down the road and as he approached their destination, he failed to notice that the girl had started to slow down her pace. With each step towards Arlong Park, Emmy's feet became heavier and heavier. As they got closer, she saw that a group of people had gathered around an opening in the wall surrounding Arlong Park.

They were preoccupied with whatever was happening in the courtyard that they didn't even notice Usopp and Emmy coming towards them. Emmy hesitated a moment in her step when she saw that Usopp was veering off the main road. He turned to her and then motioned for her to follow in silence. She did so and they both silently crept up to a small hole in the wall, a ways away from the crowd. They peered into the courtyard and Emmy sucked in a breath.

Luffy was nowhere to be found and the courtyard was in shambles. Part of the roof on the first level was completely snapped off and there were listless bodies of Fishmen strewn about. The worst part was that Zoro was standing in front of an eight foot tall sawshark Fishman and the swordsman looked like he was going to keel over at any second.

"Eep! What is Zoro doing facing Arlong by himself? Where's everyone else?! Where's Luffy?" Usopp screeched under his breath.

"So...So that's Arlong…" Emmy said quietly as she stepped away from the wall but kept her eyes glued on the Fishman for just one more second before turning away.

"Emmy? What are you-"

"Delay him, Usopp," Emmy said and started to walk towards the larger opening.

"What?!"

"Don't let Zoro fight, Usopp!"

Usopp gulped and he reached into his bag. That's when he realized that the rope holding Wakin was no longer in his hands and he shot another look at Emmy. She was dragging Wakin behind her.

 _I hope you know what you're doing_ , Usopp thought as he pulled out a raw egg from his bag and fitted it into his sling. "EGG STAR!"

_Splat!_

The egg sailed forward but Arlong was ready. He held out a hand and the egg splattered into his fist.

"I-I've got your back, Zoro!" Usopp declared.

"Usopp?!" Zoro and Nami cried as they looked around to find him.

"Nami! Listen, I actually beat one of the leaders! Can you believe that?" he announced proudly, "Fishmen are a piece of cake!"

"Y-You defeated Choo?!" Arlong said and his eyes narrowed.

"That's right," Usopp boasted, "With my arrival, the fight comes to a climax at once! It heads into the final chapter!"

"Tch," Arlong scoffed and returned his attention back to Zoro, "Looks like you want to die first, Roronoa Zoro."

"EEP! He's not taking me seriously!" Usopp shrieked to himself, "Emmy! What am I supposed to do? I can't...I can't delay this fight anymore."

"ARLONG! I have a deal to make with you!"

Emmy had made her way through the crowd. They had separated without much prodding to make way for her once they spotted what she was dragging behind her. Arlong's eyes turned white when he saw Wakin too.

"Wait...Emmy! Stop! You-" Nami gasped when she realized it herself but then Emmy continued to walk forward towards the Fishman.

"I'll trade him for Zoro," she said and then held out her end of the rope towards Arlong, "What do you say?"

The fact that she was offering Wakin to him as if Wakin was cattle infuriated Arlong. "How dare you-"

"You are a disgrace," the little girl interrupted. Her eyes were fixated on the sun mark that was peeking out of his shirt. It ignited a flame of anger and frustration inside of her, "You are tainting the honor of Fisher Tiger-san and the Sun Pirates by your actions. Enslaving a whole island just for profit?! How dare _you_?!"

"What?!" Arlong snarled as he stormed over towards Emmy, not caring about Zoro anymore. He grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up on the floor. Emmy didn't even put up a fight.

"AH! EMMY!" Usopp and Nami shrieked.

"Why you-" Zoro started to lunge at Arlong but instead he doubled over in pain. _Should've known an injury from the world's greatest swordsman would be this damaging._

"Zo...Zoro. It's fine," Emmy gasped and his head shot up to look at her.

_How could she say that during a time like this?_

He blinked at her but then after a moment, the swordsman smirked.

Arlong dug his fingers into Emmy's throat. "You cannot judge me. You are a lowly human...One of the weaklings...And the weakest one of all, at that."

"AH! THE OCTOPUS!" Usopp shrieked from the sidelines.

"Damn it," Zoro grunted as he tried to get up to his feet.

From the corner of Emmy's eyes, she saw the octopus fishman that she and Luffy had strolled past was standing up and glaring in Zoro's direction. He was bleeding profusely on the head and the blood was smeared across his sun mark.

He stamped his foot. "I won't let you or Roronoa Zoro have your way. I'm going to go after your friend and crush him to death in the sea."

"What?" Emmy gasped as the octopus jumped into the water.

Zoro let out a sigh of relief and slumped back down to the ground.

"OY! Zoro! There is no time to relax!" Nami snapped, "Hurry up and go after him! Sanji is about to-"

"He'll be fine," Zoro said, "Trust me. You hear me, Emmy?! He'll be fine."

Emmy smiled despite still having Arlong's hand around her neck. Her eyes met the sharks. "I...have strong friends."

"Not strong enough," Arlong replied smoothly and dug his fingers into her skin. Blood started to snake down her neck but Emmy didn't even react, "And like I said...you're the weakest one of all. Now die."

He pierced his sawed nose right through Emmy's heart. He left it there for a second before ripping his nose away, causing a long stream of blood to spray out of the girl. "Shahahahahaha!"

"EMMMYYYYYYYYY!" Usopp and Nami cried as Zoro's smirk deepened.

"We win," the swordsman stated.

"WHAT?!" Usopp demanded, "How have we-"

Usopp stopped short when Zoro laid his hand on the top of his head and then pointed out at Emmy. He followed his gesture and he looked at the top of Emmy's head.

 _When did she take her headband off?!,_ Usopp thought just as his foot slid back and hit something small but hard. He whirled around and saw that her headband was at his feet.

"We win," Zoro said again.

"I am weak," Emmy choked out while blood dribbled out the corner of her mouth, "I can barely fight and I'm better at making people feel comfortable than causing them discomfort."

Emmy then raised her hand out towards the fishman, flattening her palm against his sun mark, "I am pathetic...But so are you...Feel Feel Projection: Pity!"

"Oh crap. Everyone duck!" Zoro shouted but it was too late.

Navy blue hearts swarmed out of the girl and hit every single person above the water including her own nakama and the fishman in front of her.

"Why...why is there so much distance between me and him?" Zoro sobbed as he banged his fists against the concrete floor, "Hawk Eyes is too strong and I'm so weak."

"I worked so hard for that money," Nami cried, "And it's all gone. Eight years...all gone! Ah! I'm so stupid."

"We're all too weak to fight against Arlong," one of the townspeople wailed, "We're never going to get our village back."

"Why didn't we have enough faith in Big Sis Nami?" Yosaku cried, 'We should've trusted her!"

"Eh?" Usopp said as he scratched the back of his head, "Guys? You okay? What's going on?"

"Big Brother…" Arlong cried. He fell to his knees, releasing his hold on Emmy. He brought his hands to his face, "I'll never be as strong and powerful as him. I'm not honorable like him. He would never care about money and treasure. Ahhhh. I am nothing more than a mere seaslug."

_Splash!_

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I'm backkkkkk!'

A red and blue blur shot out from the water and went tumbling up into the air. When it finally slowed, and started to come down, the sniper could see the detail of black hair and white grinning teeth.

"Ah! Luffy!" Usopp shouted in surprise, while the people around him had another reaction.

"He certainly knows when to make an entrance. I never seem to arrive on time," Zoro sighed and curled up into a fetal position.

"I could never be as carefree as him," Nami lamented.

"Eh? What's gotten into the swordsman?" Sanji asked with an amused grin as he pulled himself out of the water.

"EMMMYYYY!" Luffy cried out as his hands shot out to grip one of the eaves of the building and pulled himself towards ground level. He rushed to his sister, who was kneeling in front of Arlong and only kept up by her shaking arms, "Eh? What's with all this blood? Where's your headband?!"

"AH! The headband!" Usopp cried as he grabbed it and fitted it to his slingshot, "LUFFY! Heads up!"

"Thanks!" Luffy shouted as he caught the headband by the bow and brought it back to Emmy's head.

Immediately, her whole body relaxed and her head moved up so that she could blink her big, blue eyes at her brother. "Luffy...you're back."

"Yep," Luffy grinned and then picked her up by the waist, "Usopp! Catch!"

"WHAT?!" Usopp shrieked, barely making it in time as he crawled out of the hole to the other side. The throw was much too forceful and the sniper got sandwiched between the first mate and the stone gate.

"Y...You idiot," the sniper muttered as they slid to the ground with Emmy ending up in his lap.

Luffy wasn't paying attention, though, since he wasn't done with his warm up. "GUM GUM WHIP!"

His leg swung out and kicked Arlong hard across the stomach, flinging him from his kneeling position towards the building.

"Gum Gum Gatling!" Luffy roared as he dealt endless blows at the fishman's chest, forcing him back. Luffy didn't stop until the fishman was sent flying through the wall of his building. Then, the rubber boy started to crack his knuckles and stretch out his legs.

"LUFFY!" Nami and the other people cried. They had finally returned to their senses.

_Thwack._

Nami hit Emmy hard on the head. "You idiot! You hit us too."

"I'm sorry," Emmy said. "I can't control it."

"Then do something else!" Nami snapped.

"Ugh, that was embarrassing. Let's never speak of that moment again," Zoro grunted as he slowly made his way towards their part of the wall. Emmy smiled apologetically at him and moved off of Usopp's lap to sit in between the sniper and the swordsman.

"No. Let's speak of it some more," Sanji said as he sat on the other side of the sniper. Then he saw the blood in the front of Emmy's dress. He would've tackled the swordsman if not for the fact that he would have to get past Emmy to do so, "You bastard! What is up with all this blood?! Were you not protecting Emmy-chan?!"

"She's fine!" Zoro growled, "We were the ones who needed protection from _her_."

"Hehehe! I guess the brave Captain Usopp is immune to Emmy's power because I didn't feel any different," Usopp said proudly.

"Idiot," Zoro scoffed, "That's because you're always pitying yourself."

"You have more self pity for yourself than all of us combined," Nami agreed.

Usopp hung his head in shame and Emmy giggled. "You're feeling it now, aren't you, Usopp?"

"Yah," he sighed. Then he stiffened when he felt Emmy's head slump over his shoulder, "Ah! Emmy! I forgot that Arlong stabbed you! Don't die! Emmy! Don't die!"

"I'm not," Emmy said with her eyes closed, "It's healed already...I just...feel very sleepy."

"Eh?! Everything's healed already?!" Usopp cried, "Great! Can you just take some of my-"

"Shut up, Usopp!" Both Zoro and Sanji shouted at the same time.

"Must be a side effect to healing serious injuries," Sanji said as he remembered all Emmy had told him about her powers.

"Sorry, everyone," Emmy said as her head began to nod, "I can't seem to stay awake…Please wake me up when Luffy has won."

"Yeah," Zoro grunted and closed his eyes, "Wake me up too."

"Y-Y-You're both going to sleep?!" Usopp sputtered, "B-B-But the fight's not even close to being over. What if Luffy-"

"He'll be fine," Zoro and Emmy said in unison.

From the corner of his eye, the cook observed the sleeping first mate. Her blind faith in her brother completely overshadowed any concern she might have for him. She was terrified in coming here. Sanji saw it first hand when they approached the island but that fear only seemed to be directed for herself and not for her brother.

Sanji knew that Emmy understood how dangerous Arlong was. There was no doubt about it and yet her attitude was the same as when Luffy had fought against Don Krieg, who paled in comparison to this fishman.

Sanji puffed on his cigarette and he frowned. The girl's unshakable belief in Luffy was a very romantic gesture but it would all turn very tragic if one day Luffy met someone he couldn't defeat. How would the girl react then? Where would her calm and composed demeanor go?

Her own strength was tied directly to Luffy's. She was completely dependent on the captain. If he were to fall, she would fall with him and Sanji, in his good conscious, would not allow that to happen to the little lady. If that meant making sure that idiot captain become the King of Pirates, then so be it.

Of course, this courtesy and protection would extend to Nami-san if she chooses to join them. Sanji had little doubt that she would too. After all, she was wearing the captain's prized hat and staring at him with just as much resolve as the first mate.

Now if only he could just get rid of the irritating swordsman and the sniper, then it'll be a perfect crew. Just him, the dumb captain, and the two lovely ladies. Yes...that would be nice.


	30. I am Breaking a Chain.

Emmy didn't know how long she had been asleep but what she did know was Luffy had done something extreme. She had woken up to what felt like an earthquake and before she could blink, she was smooshed up against a stampede of townspeople as Usopp ran as fast as he could with her in his arms. Whatever had happened, she knew her brother was the cause.

"Luffy?" she asked as she looked around her to see Sanji with a still sleeping Zoro slung over his shoulder while pulling Nami behind him.

"Arlong Park is collapsing!" one of the townspeople cried, "Evacuate! Get to safety!"

"What?" Emmy gasped as she turned to look over Usopp's shoulder. Indeed, the building had cracked right in the middle and it had splintered off into smaller cracks that wrapped around the walls like a spider web. Chunks of the roofs were starting to fall to the ground and the very foundation was shaking from the impact.

They ran for a good two minutes before the ground stilled and the last piece of Arlong Park settled into the debris. As loud and thunderous as the wrecking was, the people were deathly quiet. Their speed as they walked back to the stone gates was vastly different from how they left. It was hesitant and slow as if at any moment, the building would rebuild itself.

The townspeople waited silently for the cloud of smoke and dust to clear, for the deciding factor of the rest of their lives. Were they finally free after 8 years of a tyrant's reign or was it all just a small taste of hope that they'll never ever get again?

 _Luffy,_ Emmy thought as she watched with her friends, _Is Nami-san free? Did you break all her chains?_

"Luffy…" Usopp said worriedly as he got Emmy back up on her own two feet while Sanji just dropped Zoro to the ground like a bag of rice.

"Oof! What the-" Zoro grunted, his eyes snapping open and then they narrowed at the sight of the curled eyebrows, "You bastard!"

"Zoro! Look!" Emmy shouted and pointed straight ahead at the wreckage. From the top of the debris, a figure burst through and it slowly straightened up. Emmy smiled when the sun caught the figure's red vest and black hair.

"BIG BRO!" Johnny and Yosaku shouted while tears of joy streamed down their faces.

"Is...he okay?" Usopp asked, his eyes falling on how much blood was dripping over his captain's arms and legs. He also noticed that Luffy was panting very heavily.

No one else said a word. They were too nervous to say anything. This turn of events was just too unfathomable and if someone suddenly told them it was all a dream, they would've believed it.

Then, the rubber boy drew in a long breath.

"NAMI!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. His cry rang out to the edges of the island and he waited for the navigator to look him in the eyes.

"You're my nakama!" he roared.

It was a fact. There was no denying it and his expression seemed to dare the gods to prove him otherwise.

Nami's eyes watered and she had to break her gaze from the boy's in order to wipe the tears that continued to flow. "Yeah…" she finally admitted, "Yeah...I am…."

"He...he won?!" the townspeople gasped, the truth finally settling into their mind and soul.

"He won!" Johnny and Yosaku cheered.

"Shishishishi," Luffy laughed as he jumped off of the rubble and ran towards his nakama. Somewhat unfortunately, he was cut off from the reunion by all the people he had just saved. The people of Cocoyashi Village tossed the captain in the air as they cheered and cried.

It was hard to toss and catch a person when their visions were blurred by their tears so it wasn't long before the rubber boy was accidentally dropped to the ground. He didn't mind at all and just laughed from his spot.

"That was awesome," he grinned.

_Thwack._

From behind, Nami placed his hat back on his head. He looked up and shared a smile with his navigator.

"Hold it right there! All of you!"

Everyone turned around and saw a group of marines walking towards them. Leading the group was a man with a rat like face. He had a pointed nose, three long whiskers on each side of his face, and a greasy smile. He wore a grey coat over his marine uniform with small grey ears sewn onto the side of his hood.

"Chichichichi," he laughed, "What a lucky day today is. Well done. I watched the entire fight. Fluke as it was, I never once imagined the fishmen would be taken down by a bunch of nameless pirates like yourselves. However, thanks to you, all the money I was to give to Arlong are now mine. Everyone drop your weapons! I, Colonel Nezumi of Navy Branch #16, hereby take credit for what you've done here."

"Feel Feel Punch!"

_Thwack! Thwack!_

"AHHH EMMY!" Usopp shrieked as Emmy's two phantom fists socked the colonel's jaw one way and then another.

Emmy sighed and took a moment to savor the atmosphere around her. "Everyone is so happy and genuinely having fun. Why are you trying to ruin it?" she asked. Then she brought her headband back on her head and batted her blue eyes at the bleeding marine, "Colonel Nezumi of Navy Branch #16...I'll remember that."

"Eh? Just you try laying another finger on me!" he shrieked, "I'll make you pay for that!"

_Thwack! Shing! Thud! Splat!_

Emmy didn't have to move another muscle. The captain, the swordsman, the cook, and the sniper all quickly disposed of the mood ruining marines.

"J-J-Just you try laying a finger on me! You'll be sorry!" Nezumi stuttered through his fat lip and missing teeth.

"He's still saying that shit?" Sanji sighed as he lit a new cigarette.

Emmy turned and she nodded at the navigator. "Nami-san, I believe you have some business to discuss with him."

"Yes, I do," Nami said and walked briskly to the Colonel. She tugged at one of his whiskers, "This is for shooting Nojiko and tearing up Bellemere-san's tangerine grove."

_Thwack!_

Nami sent her wooden staff crashing down on the man's skull but she wasn't done. She squatted down again and pulled at his whiskers, this time with more force. "You guys are gonna clean up after those fishmen, got it? And you're gonna help rebuild the town of Goa. And you're not allowed to touch any money or valuables in Arlong Park. That belongs to the town. Got it?!"

"G-G-G-Got it," Nezumi cried.

"And most importantly, I want all my money back!"

"Okay...I'll give it back. I'll give it back. I don't care anymore," he whimpered.

As soon as Nami let him out of her clutches, he quickly retreated with his men. "I'll get you, you rotten pirates! Straw Hat! Your name is Luffy, right? You're the captain, right? Don't forget this. Some major stuff's gonna happen now. You've made me mad and it's too late to regret what you've done! I shall have my revenge!" he shouted from a safe distance away.

"Well, his attitude sure changed fast," Emmy sighed and smoothed out her apron.

"AH! EMMY! What the hell happened there?" Luffy suddenly shouted and pointed at the dried blood that caked over Emmy's chest, "Did you get shot?! Who hurt you?!"

"You _just_ noticed?!" Usopp, Sanji, and Zoro snapped.

"Arlong stabbed me there with his nose," Emmy said, "But I had my headband off so it healed. I'm okay."

Luffy grinned. "Okay."

"Wait! What about us?!" Usopp seethed, "I took down one of the leaders, you know?!"

"So did I," Sanji said.

"Me too," Zoro grunted, "Twice."

"Twice?" Sanji asked.

"Yeah, the octopus guy fell down twice because of my cuts," Zoro said.

"What?! That only counts as one because his wound re-opened when he was dumb enough to jump into the water," Sanji said, "So you're only at one. Same as me and Usopp."

"Shishishishishi," Luffy cheered and extended his arm to bring them all into one giant group hug, including Nami, "We're all the same!"

"What? That's not what we're trying to...ugh...nevermind," Usopp sighed and then he looked down at his shirt, "Oy...am I bleeding or is that- Kyaaa! Zoro! You're bleeding on me!"

"It's fine. I can just sleep it off."

"No, you will not! You're going to go see a doctor," Emmy said sternly.

"Actually, you should go see the doctor too," Nami grinned.

Emmy blinked at the girl. "What? But I'm fine."

"You'll see," Nami said with a wink.

* * *

It turned out that the town doctor was also the town tattoo artist. Emmy gaped at the navigator when she waved a piece of paper in front of her eyes. They were both standing in the bathroom, talking in private, while the doctor sewed up a loudly groaning swordsman on the other side of the door.

"You...can't be serious…" Emmy gasped as she took the paper out of Nami's hand and stared at it. Nami had taken Emmy's slave mark and altered it. Instead of a claw, it looked like the sun at the top with a crescent moon at the bottom and clouds floating at the sides, covering the bottom triangle of her mark.

"The sun and the moon. Do you like it?"

"Of course I do," Emmy said.

Nami's smile turned bigger. "It's all going to be colored over your mark too. Yellow for the sun, blue for the moon, and white clouds. That way you don't have to worry about it if someone sees it. They'll just think it's a tattoo," Nami said with a grin.

"The doctor...can do that?" Emmy asked.

"Yep and he's really discreet so he won't tell anyone about your original mark. I promise. You can trust him," Nami said, "After he's done with Zoro, he's already all set to give you this tattoo. All you have to do is keep that headband on your head for at least a week to make sure your powers don't cover up the tattoo...And if it does..."

She shrugged. "Well, it's worth a shot."

Emmy bit her lip and then she rushed forward to give the navigator a hug around the waist. "Thank...thank you, Nami-san…," she whispered.

"Idiot," Nami said, "We said we'd break our chains together, right? You already broken mine so it's my turn to reciprocate. Plus, we're nakama now. You need to call me Nami."

Emmy nodded against Nami's shoulder. "Thank you, Nami," Emmy breathed and then she lifted her head, "What about _your_ tattoo?"

"Oh yeah," Nami said with a grin, "I have plans for that too."

"Nami…"

"Yeah?"

"I'm so glad we finally have a nakama who can make plans."

Nami threw her head back and laughed while a knock came through the door.

"I'm all done. You're up next, little girl," the doctor said.

"Okay!" Emmy replied, "I'm coming out now."

"You don't have to do this," Nami said, "It might not work and the pain not be worth it. So you can definitely back out if you want to."

"It'll be worth it," Emmy said with a firm nod, "It'll work. I just know it will. I won't use my powers for a month if I have to."

Nami grinned and reached for the door knob. "Ready to try and break a chain?"

Emmy nodded. "En!"

* * *

"WOOOO! A tattoo?!" Luffy grinned as Nami helped Emmy pull down the back of her collar to show her nakama her newly inked skin.

They had celebrated for 3 days and 3 nights in Nami's village before finally setting sail. The whole island was so grateful to both Luffy and Nami for all that they've done that many people chipped in to get the Going Merry ready for her voyage into the Grand Line. The ship was reinforced and even had some extra planks and tools lying around in case Usopp had to patch anything up, which was highly likely. Under Nojiko's watchful eye, a couple of Bellemere's prized tangerine trees were planted on the roof of the galley. The Going Merry was sailing just a touch slower than usual with being filled to the brim with supplies and food.

They were all standing around the deck the morning after their departure. The effects of non-stop partying as finally starting to wear off and everyone's emotions were settling back down to normal. It was a relief to Emmy since even though it was the happiest and most joyful environment she had ever been in, it was still overwhelming.

"Do...do you like it?" Emmy asked nervously.

"So cool!" Luffy cheered.

The swordsman did not share in his captain's appreciation and he shot a pointed look at Nami's upgraded tattoo. "Oy! What did I say about being a bad influence on Emmy?" he growled.

"This was a good thing," Nami huffed and put her hand on her hip, "Right, Emmy?"

Emmy nodded. "Yes, a very good thing and it's the only tattoo I'll get. I promise!"

Then she looked nervously at the swordsman and she wrung her hands together. "Are...are you upset with me for doing this, Zoro?"

Nami and Usopp snickered behind their hands as the swordsman got sucker punched by the girl's puppy dog eyes.

"Of course not," Zoro grunted, "The tattoo is cool."

Emmy's whole face lit back up. "Really?"

Zoro rubbed the back of his head and he let out a defeated smile. "Yeah. It suits you."

"Yeah. It's a very nice design," Usopp added.

Nami smirked. "You're not the only one with artistic abilities."

"AHHH! Nami-swan and Emmy-chwan are beautiful tattooed ladies!" Sanji cried as he pirouetted around the pair.

"That's why Emmy is not allowed to remove her headband for at least a week," Nami ordered, ignoring the cook's antics, "She needs to heal that tattoo naturally. We don't want her powers to undo all the hard work I put in."

"Don't you mean the hard work the doctor put in?" Emmy asked with a confused frown while Luffy pouted.

"Really? A week?!" he asked, "I thought now we could finally have Emmy take off her headband and do impressions of all of you."

"Is that why you've been so eager for me to use my powers?!" Emmy gasped, "You wanted to see me mimic their expressions?"

"Of course," Luffy said.

"Idiot," Zoro, Nami, and Sanji both scoffed while Usopp nodded in agreement with his captain. He had heard that Emmy had laughed like Luffy and smirked like Zoro. He was wondering if her eyebrows would curl when she tapped into Sanji.

"I'm sorry. Please be patient," Emmy sighed just as a News Coo came swooping down with the day's paper.

Nami went over to it and held out a coin to slot it into the red bag it carried around it's neck. It jerked his head away when he saw the coin in her hand. Then he held up two of his feathers.

"What? You raised the price again?" Nami huffed as she pulled out another coin and disgruntledly fed both into his bag, "Don't you think your place charges a bit much? Raise it again and I'll stop buying it."

The News Coo nodded apologetically before handing the navigator the paper and flying off.

"What's the big deal?" Usopp asked, "It's just a newspaper."

"Money is still money," Nami insisted.

Emmy tilted her head to the side. "But you don't have to save up to buy your village back anymore."

"You're so dumb! Now it's even more important because now all the money I get to keep!" Nami shouted.

Emmy frowned at the navigator. " _More_ important?" she asked in slight disbelief.

"Let it go, Emmy," Zoro sighed and placed a hand on Emmy's shoulder, "There's a lot of greedy people like that in the world. You'll just have to get used to it."

"I'm not greedy! I'm practical!" Nami insisted.

"Yeah, yeah," Zoro pushed Emmy away from the navigator, "Emmy, since you can't use your powers, you might as well train your card throwing."

"Oh yes," Emmy said, "I wasn't able to cut Wakin-san because of his scales and slime. I need to add more force to my throw."

Zoro nodded with approval and then started to do one handed pushups while Emmy went to the port side of the deck to set up her target. Then she crossed the deck and drew her cards.

There were little indentations and cuts left in the bullseye from her previous rounds of training. The majority of the marks were clustered around the center, signifying the progress she was making. Her cuts were getting deeper too with the deepest one so far resting slightly to the right of the bullseye. She had been able to embed more than half the card with that throw.

Emmy held her breath and stilled herself so that she could feel the wind. Usopp had advised her to always do so before taking a shot. She kept herself stagnant while sensing how everything else is moving around her. Her eyes narrowed at the red bullseye and she fanned out five cards in front of her.

_Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!_

"AHHHHH!"

Four out of the five cards lodged beautifully around the center while the fifth one stayed in between her fingers. Emmy glanced over at her brother and Usopp, who had both cried out but in entirely different ways. Their sudden outburst had stopped her from throwing out her final card.

"YEEESSSSSS!" Luffy cheered as he held up a piece of paper in his hands, "We're officially pirates now!"

"How did they get your picture so fast?" Usopp said, not believing his eyes, "Ah! And...is that me in there?!"

"What...what's going on?" Emmy asked.

She walked over to them, noticing that the navigator was staring mournfully at the paper while Sanji and Zoro stood behind her. Zoro had a smirk on his face while Sanji kept his blank. Emmy turned to her brother and then her eyes fell on the paper he was holding. A picture of Luffy was grinning right back at her, matching his current expression, and underneath the picture was his bounty.

"Dead or alive…" Emmy read, "30 million berries?!"

Luffy threw his head back and laughed. "Isn't that great?!"

Usopp couldn't help but grin. "And since I'm in the picture, I'll be seen all around the world too!"

"What?! They put Long-Nose in but left me out?!" Sanji cried and shoved the sniper out of the way so he could get a better look at the picture, "Where are you? I don't see you anywhere?!"

Usopp pointed at the bottom corner of the picture. His back was turned to the camera and he was off in the distance but his distinguishable bandana and hair was easily recognizable.

Sanji let out a snort of annoyance and stormed off to the side while Usopp laughed victoriously.

Emmy smiled brightly at the sniper. "Kaya-sama will be so happy to see this picture of you."

At the mention of the name, Usopp's cheeks flushed and he looked excitedly back at Emmy. "Y-You think so?"

Emmy nodded. "Even though she really wanted you to stay, she wanted you to become the brave warrior that she knows you to be."

A pang hit through Usopp and Emmy winced slightly from the sharpness of it. Usopp's smile started to waver and then it disappeared. "She...she wanted me to stay?" Usopp asked quietly to Emmy.

Emmy felt Usopp's heart start to ache and she blinked at him in surprise. It was the same feeling Kaya-sama had when they said goodbye. "I'm sorry…" Emmy said, "Should I not have said anything?"

Suddenly, the aching was gone and Usopp's heart swelled up with pride and determination. He looked over the ship and into the sparkling, blue horizon. He puffed up his chest and stuck his nose in the air. "I am Captain Usopp!" he shouted out, "The brave warrior of the sea! Just watch me, Kaya!"

"YES! To the Grand Line!" Luffy cheered as he threw his arm around Usopp's shoulders and they both began to kick their legs up.

"To the Grand Line! To the Grand Line!" they chanted together.

"Wait! Do you guys realize the danger we're in now that Luffy has a bounty?!" the navigator started to protest but it fell on deaf ears.

Emmy felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked over to see Sanji puffing on his cigarette. "Don't worry, Emmy-chan," he said, "You did the right thing."

"If I knew it would cause him pain, I wouldn't have said anything," Emmy said softly, "I should've known that's why Kaya-sama didn't tell him to stay. I didn't realize-"

"Well, love is complicated, Emmy-chan," Sanji said and Emmy looked up at him in surprise.

"Love?" she asked. Her hand went to cover her heart and she gripped it to mimic the sensation of the ache but it was a poor substitute, "That feeling...is love?"

"A part of it," Sanji replied and exhaled the smoke through his nose, "Love comes in many ways, Emmy-chan. Don't worry. It's not all pain and sadness. It can be beautiful."

Emmy stared down at the floor and her brows furrowed. "But...if it comes in many ways...How do I know when I'm feeling it?"

"You can ask me," Sanji said with a smile, "I'll help you."

Emmy let out a sigh of relief and she beamed at the Love Cook. "That would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Sanji!"

"My pleasure, little lady."


	31. I am Here on Family Business.

**Ch 31 - I am Here on Family Business.**

Emmy smoothed out her apron and looked nervously around her. Busy was the only way to describe Logue Town. The people bustling up and down the streets were engrossed in their day. The noises of many people doing multiple things at once was noisy and turbulent. Emmy didn't even want to think about how and what they were feeling. She was glad she had her headband on. Even if she was still in the middle of her Devil Fruit Power Embargo, she wouldn't take it off anyways.

The navigator had helped them get to this large port town so that the crew could stock up on the necessities they would need before heading into the Grand Line. Of course, once the captain heard that this was where Gold Roger born and died, he was all for this pit stop.

"You really going to be okay, Emmy-chan?" Sanji asked as they walked down the street together. They were the only ones left from the group. Luffy had ran off to find the execution platform. Usopp, Nami, and Zoro went off on their own to buy whatever it was they needed. The cook was more interested in taking the time to browse through the many different food selections of the town and unbeknownst to the first mate, he was also keeping an eye on the variety of females around him. There were just so many and he was getting very excited.

Emmy nodded at the cook and she smiled with more confidence than she felt. "I need to do this on my own. I'll be fine. You can go do your shopping. I'll meet you back on the ship."

Sanji eyed her warily before nodding his head. "Okay. It'll be easier if you just told me where you were going. That way, I can stick around the area in case you-"

"I'll be fine," Emmy said, "This is something I need to do on my own."

"Okay," Sanji sighed, "If you insist."

"I do and don't worry," Emmy replied and she held out her deck of cards for emphasis, "I have this."

Sanji smiled and patted her on the head. "Alright, but remember what Luffy said. Any sign of trouble, you either run back to the ship-"

"Or find you, Zoro, or him. I will," she finished and gave him a small wave before he walked away. She stuck her deck back into her apron pocket and hurried over to the closest townsperson she could find. It happened to be an old woman who was busy sweeping the front of her clothing store.

"Excuse me," Emmy said politely and bowed her head, "Could you please tell me where I can get to the marine base here?"

"O-Of course. It's just a few blocks away but is something wrong? Are you in trouble?"

Emmy shook her head. "I have a family member in the marines. I just want to see if I could make a call to him."

"Oh, you poor dear," the old woman said, "You must miss your family member terribly. Of course. Here let me draw you a map."

Emmy smiled and she tipped the woman a shiny coin once she got the directions. She went straight to the marine base, which was headquartered in a five story building in the middle of a sidestreet. It was painted a pale turquoise with a large white 'MARINE' sign at the front. The windows had white shutters and everything looked pristine. Emmy nodded in approval. The marines here must be very disciplined.

She walked through the opened doors and and nodded to a marine sitting at the front desk. The lobby of the base was just as clean and pristine as the inside with a white stone staircase in the back of the room that led up to the upper offices.

"Good afternoon, sir," she said and bowed her head, "I am requesting permission to contact a naval officer."

"Is it official business?" he asked.

"No. It's personal."

"Then no," he said, "Our communication center is used for official businesses. Not to little girls when they start missing their fathers or brothers."

"But I'm not calling a father or a brother. I'm calling my-"

"It doesn't matter," the marine said and slammed his fist on the table, "This is the marine base for Loguetown. This is the base that executed the King of Pirates! We do serious business here."

"But-"

"What seems to be the problem?"

Emmy turned her head and she stared at a female marine. She was walking down the stairwell with something long and thin wrapped in cloth. Emmy guessed either a baguette, a rifle, or a sword. The marine had short black hair, that bordered on blue, and purple framed glasses that sat at the tip of her nose. They were dangerously close of falling off and Emmy wondered if she should point that out to the woman.

The marine at the front desk quickly got up to his feet and saluted the female. "Sergeant Major Tashigi! This girl here wanted to make a private call to her family member who happens to be a marine. I already told her that our communication center was not-"

"Eh?!" Tashigi gasped and rushed towards Emmy. Her glasses wobbled around her nose but managed to magically stay on as she grasped Emmy by the shoulder, "You poor thing! Something terrible must've happened to your family that you need to alert him to. What is it? Did your mother abandon you and your four siblings to fend for yourselves? Or is your mother very ill? Or-"

"None of those things," Emmy interrupted before the marine's imagination got too wild. However, Emmy did feel slightly comforted by the level of concern and sincerity exuding from the marine, "But it is news that he would want to hear."

"Of course!" Tashigi said and she turned to the marine at the front desk, "Take her to the Communication Center at once and dial to whatever marine base her family member is stationed in. Are we clear?"

"What?!" the marine gasped, "But...But...We're not allowed to use those snails unless for official business."

"This is official business! Are marines not humans? Do they not have family members? The marine needs to know what has happened to his family!" Tashigi demanded.

The marine looked at Tashigi with awe as she stared sternly back at him.

"Now I have to leave on an errand but I'll return in time for training, should Captain Smoker ask," she said with a nod and she hurriedly rushed off, "I'll leave this girl to you."

"Eh?" the marine gasped and suddenly found himself on babysitting duty.

The girl he was left with smiled and bowed her head politely. "Thank you for your help."

He scowled and reluctantly led her into the Communication Center, which happened to be on the second floor. "What base are you trying to reach?" he said as he eyed the different sized snails they had on the table.

"I don't know," she admitted, "I only know the number he said to use."

She felt annoyance from the marine. "Well, the first 3 numbers tells me which base it is so tell me the number," he said.

"Okay," Emmy said and recited the number from memory. After all, it was the only number she knew and the only number she ever dialed, "001111-"

The marine's eyes bugged out. "What did you just say?!"

"0...0...1…," Emmy repeated at a slower pace in case he didn't catch it just yet.

"No. I got that," the marine snapped and then he glared at Emmy, "Oy! What kind of prank are you trying to pull? You're trying to call the Marine Headquarters?!"

"It's not a prank," Emmy said and batted her big blue eyes at the man, "Please dial the number. I really need to make this call. It's important."

The marine gulped and he walked to the biggest snail they had. "Alright," he said gruffly and picked up the receiver, "Tell me the number."

"001-111-231-101," Emmy said and the man dialed away.

_Purupurupurpuru. Purupurupuru. Purupurupuru._

_Catcha._

The transponder snail's eyes narrowed and his mouth turned grim. "This is Fleet Admiral Sengoku."

The marine's eyes and teeth almost popped out of his own head and then he shook his head fervently. He must've heard it wrong. He definitely must've.

"This is Fleet Admiral Sengoku," the voice repeated, "Who the hell is on the other line?!"

"EHHHHHHHHHH?!" the marine dropped the receiver and he hurriedly backed away from the transponder snail, as if at any moment the might of God would strike him for the disturbance.

Emmy calmly picked up the receiver and brought it to her lips. "Hello, Sengoku-sama. This is Emmy."

The transponder snail started to grit its teeth while a goat bleated in the background. "Grrrrrr….GARP! How many times do I have to tell you, my line is not supposed to be used for your personal-"

"Bwahahahaha! That voice brightens your day, doesn't it? Here, have a cracker."

Emmy smiled when she heard the ever boisterous voice of her grandfather.

"Fine. Here," Sengoku grunted, "But make it quick."

The transponder snail turned from narrowed eyes to big, round excited ones.

"Emmy! You haven't called me in a couple of months now. Has the mayor not been taking you to Clork Island to use their marine base? Did that old guy die already?" her grandfather laughed.

"No. He's still alive, Gramps" Emmy said and she ignored the bugged out eyes from the marine behind her, "I haven't been able to call because-"

"I get it. You're sad that Luffy left. That damn brat. The next time I see him, I'm going to beat the sense into him! Don't worry about it, Emmy and don't think about that bounty poster either. I'll get him back. Let Gramps handle it!"

"Actually, Gramps," Emmy said, "I've joined him."

There was a long pause and all Emmy could see from the transponder snail was rounded white eyes. Then they turned red.

"GARP! Another family member?!" Sengoku demanded from the background, "You need to-"

"LUUUUFFFFFYYYYYY! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Emmy's grandfather roared so violently that it sent the marine behind Emmy cowering into a corner.

"GRAMPS!" Emmy said sternly, "This was not Luffy's fault. It was my decision and-"

"Don't cover for him, Emmy!" Gramps shouted, "Where are you all now? I'm going to come get you guys and-"

"Gramps! This is my decision," Emmy asserted, "And I will take full responsibility for it. I am very sorry to disappoint you but please put that disappointment on me and not Luffy. This is not his fault and if you punish him for this then...then..."

She puffed up her cheeks. "Then I'll hate you forever."

"WHAT?!"

"That's right," Emmy continued, "It is our freedom to choose who we want to be. Luffy and I just happened to choose being pirates. If you don't respect our decision, then I'll never speak to you again. OH! And don't put the blame on Dadan-san either! I'll hate you for that too!"

Suddenly the transponder snail began to wail. "Emmmmmyyyy," he bawled, "Don't hate Gramps. I'm just trying to do what's best for you."

Emmy's pout faded away and she smiled. "I know, Gramps. Don't worry about me. Luffy and I will be fine. We'll take care of each other."

She then looked around her and her smile turned sad. "Gramps, I'm going to go now...but before I leave can you do me a favor?"

"Wh-what do you need?" Gramps sobbed, still quite stricken by the possibility of not being in the good graces of his beautiful, beloved granddaughter.

"Can you look into Colonel Nezumi of Navy Branch #16? We had a run in with him," Emmy requested.

"Navy Branch #16?" Gramps asked, "That's in the middle of nowhere."

"Could you please check Colonel Nezumi? I have reason to believe he's been doing some underground dealings with pirates," Emmy said.

"This is good!" Sengoku shouted from the background, "Garp! I'm willing to overlook your family's criminal record if your granddaughter can be an informant that-"

"EMMY WILL DO NO SUCH THING!" Garp barked and then he cleared his throat so he could take a much calmer tone with his granddaughter, "Okay. Gramps will look into it for you. Did he do something to hurt you?"

"No," Emmy stated, "I just didn't like him. He threatened Luffy but that's all I'm going to say."

She smiled sadly at the receiver. "I have to go now, Gramps. My nakama is waiting for me. It might be quite some time before we get to talk again."

"Ah," Garp grunted back, "So you and Luffy found some nakama, huh?"

Emmy nodded. "Yes. They are wonderful, Gramps. They are teaching me all kinds of things. How to be strong, how to plan, how to lie-"

"H-h-h-how to what?!" Garp sputtered.

"I'll never lie to you, Gramps," Emmy said reassuringly, "I promise."

"Ah...Emmy...you're a good girl so stay that way, okay?" Garp said.

"Okay," Emmy replied, "Take care of yourself, Gramps."

There was a long pause. "You too, Emmy and...take care of Luffy for me too."

"I will."

_Catcha._

Emmy sighed and placed the receiver back on the snail's back. She felt like a big burden had rolled off her shoulders. She had felt so guilty for doing this to Gramps. She was being so ungrateful to his kindness but now that he had given her his blessing, she no longer felt as bad.

She was glad to have made this call, even if it meant admitting to be a pirate in the middle of a marine base. That's why she wasn't so surprised when she turned around and found herself staring down the barrel of a gun.

"Y-Y-Y-You're a pirate!" the marine that had escorted her in stammered. His hands were shaking and he needed both of them at the hilt of the gun in order to aim somewhat near Emmy's head, "I-I-I need to take you in!"

Emmy studied the marine. He was feeling conflicted, which wasn't surprising to the empath. After all, it was his duty to take down the criminals but now that he knew she had strong ties to a Vice Admiral, he was somewhat at a loss for what to do.

"Are you really going to shoot me?" she asked quietly.

"I...I…"

"Huh? This isn't the broom closet…"

Emmy and the marine both turned to gape at the man who had appeared in the doorway. He had a scowl on his face and he was scratching the back of his brightly green hair with one hand while holding a mop in the other. Then his scowl deepened when his narrowed eyes rested on the girl in the apron and the weapon pointed at her.

"Of course you'd be the first one caught by the marines," he sighed as his hand went to the white katana tied next to his bellyband.

The marine started to sweat. "Pi-Pi-Pi-Pirate Hunter….Ro-Ro-Ro-Roronoa Zoro!" he cried and moved his gun over to the swordsman, "What...what are you doing here?!"

Thwack!

Instantly, the man was knocked unconscious with the back of Zoro's katana and the swordsman huffed while sliding his blade back in it's place. "How the hell did you get caught so fast?" he demanded at the first mate, who was looking curiously back at him.

"Why are you holding a mop?" she asked.

"Don't worry about it," he grunted and grabbed her by the laced cuff, "Come on. We're getting out of here. If Luffy finds out that the marines got their hands on you, he'll tear this whole place down."

"But they didn't," Emmy said as Zoro dragged her out of the room and down the hall, "I came here voluntarily."

Zoro's hand tightened around her wrist and he stopped midstep. Her forehead bounced off his hard shoulder blades from the impromptu stop. She winced not from her head knock but from the sharp annoyance and aggravation that spiked up within the swordsman.

"You did what?!" he growled.

"I had to make a call," she said.

"In a marine base?!"

"I had to call a marine."

"WHY?!"

"Because he's Luffy and my grandfather. He had a right to know we've become pirates."

"You...You...," Zoro was at a complete loss for words. He didn't even want to touch the fact that his captain was somehow related to a marine so he did the next best thing. He glared down at the girl, "Luffy doesn't know you came here, right?"

"No," Emmy admitted, "He would've told me not to come if he did. He wouldn't see the need to tell our gramps."

"All of us would've told you so!" Zoro barked, "I don't care why you did it but never, ever do something like this again, okay, Emmy? We're pirates. We can't just come in here like civilians."

"I know," Emmy said, "I won't ever do this again. This was a one time thing...Are you going to tell Luffy?"

"Do you want me to?" Zoro asked.

Emmy shook her head. "It'll only worry him."

'AH! It's Roronoa Zoro! What is he doing here? And who is that girl?!"

Zoro closed his eyes and silently cursed his bad luck. He let go of Emmy's hand and pulled out his katana while raising the mop in his hand. "Go, Emmy. I'll take care of this," he instructed and turned to face the handful of marines that stood in their way.

"But-" Emmy started to say.

"Get your butt back on the ship, Emmy!" Zoro shouted, "You've caused enough trouble for today."

Emmy gulped and she nodded her head. "Okay," she said and was wise enough not to point out that the marines were having trouble with his presence and not hers. Zoro was clearly already irritated enough by her. She didn't want to poke the fire.

She ran past the stunned marines, down the steps, and back out to the streets. She could hear the sounds of mop stick hitting stomachs and skulls as she exited the base. She made a stop at a general store to buy a fresh supply of cards, some bolts of fabric to make more clothes for her and the crew, and even some snacks that she knew her and Luffy would enjoy.

She was about to reach for the last bag of a rice crackers when another hand came out from behind her and snagged the last bag. She turned around and blinked up at the cracker snatcher. He was a rather tall man with a red tattoo along his face. She couldn't tell if the tattoo extended past his neck because he had a green cloak tied around it and the hood was up, covering most of his scraggly black hair.

His piercing dark eyes moved down to meet hers and he grinned. "I'm sorry. Did I take this from you?"

She bowed her head politely. "No, not at all. You got to it first. Please, enjoy."

"Surprising that a girl like you likes something like this. Wouldn't you prefer something sweeter?"

Emmy shook her head. "Rice crackers are my favorite. I eat them all the time with my grandfather, especially the brand you're holding."

"Ha," the man laughed, "Yeah. I developed a taste for these from my old man too."

HIs eyes moved down to the grocery basket that Emmy had hanging on her arm and he raised an eyebrow at the large pile of dried meats she had in there. "You really like jerky, don't you?"

"No," Emmy said with a soft giggle, "These are for my brother. Luffy prefers meat over crackers."

The man's eyebrow moved even higher. "Your brother, Luffy?...What...is your name?"

"Ah," Emmy said with a small bow, "My name is Monkey D. Emmy. Pleasure to meet you. Mister…?"

"D," the man said gruffly as he took a step back to get a good look at the girl, "...You can call me Mr. D."

"Very well," Emmy said, "Pleasure to meet you, D-san. Are you visiting Loguetown or a resident?"

"Visiting," he replied, "I'm here on family business."

"What a coincidence," Emmy said, "So am I."

The man grinned again and the warmth of it took Emmy slightly aback. She matched his smile but then her expression turned to that of surprise when he tossed the bag of rice crackers into her basket. "Here, you can have it. Think of it as a present of our meeting."

"Ah! Then...here," Emmy said and hurriedly handed him a bag of dried meats, "You should have this. It's only fair."

"Thank you...Emmy," he said, savoring her name as they exchanged snacks.

"Miss! I found all the bolts of fabric you requested as well as the box of playing cards. Is ten enough?"

"Ah, yes! I'll be right there to pay," Emmy shouted as she spun around to address the store clerk. They were near the back of the store with a big shelf of produce blocking her from seeing the cashier. She turned back and was about to say goodbye to the curious Mr. D but saw that he was already gone.

"D-san?" Emmy asked as she looked all around her but he was nowhere to be found. She bit her lip, "Oh dear...He didn't pay for the jerky…"

"Miss?!"

"Coming!" Emmy said as she hurried to the front of the store.


	32. I am Only Being Polite.

When Emmy got back on board, she left the snacks in the pantry, the bolts of fabric in the storage room, and her pack of cards on top of a crate that rested next to the large couch she and Luffy slept in every night. They had tried sleeping in the hammocks the first couple nights with Luffy at the top and Emmy at the bottom but they would always end up on the couch once Emmy had a bad dream. Just holding Luffy's hand through the weaving of the hammock was not enough comfort for her. She needed him closer than that.

Emmy sat down on the couch and her hand went to the bandage at the base of her neck. She had three more days without using her powers, which seemed easy enough. Three more days and then Nami would remove the bandage to check if the tattoo had fully healed.

Luffy seemed to really like the design. Every night his hand would tuck under her hair and brush against her bandage. His grin would get bigger and he'd laugh. In fact, every since they left Arlong Park, everyone seemed to be happier and livelier.

She smoothed out her apron and she smiled. _Merry-san,_ she thought to herself, _Are you happy too?_

She stood back up and went to the storage room to get a fresh rag. _Merry-san, I wish I could feel what you feel too. After all, you are an important nakama and your feelings matter too._

Emmy filled up a bucket with water and climbed back up to the deck. The Going Merry was already pretty clean but that doesn't mean she shouldn't give the railings a good wipe down. They were about to head into the Grand Line and she wanted the Going Merry to make a great debut. Merry-san deserved that.

When Emmy reached the deck and looked over the railings towards the harbor, she dropped the bucket and her eyes widened. Buggy's lion tamer and lion looked just as surprised to see her.

"Y-Y-You! What are you doing here?!" the lion tamer shrieked from the docks.

Emmy regained her composure. She tilted her head and she moved her hands into her apron pocket. "I should ask _you_ that. After all, you're the one standing in front of my ship."

The sounds of distant rolling thunder broke her concentration and Emmy looked up to see dark clouds starting to move and cluster above the island. They were moving was at such a rapid pace that it seemed like a storm was determined to brew immediately over the town.

Emmy looked down at the lion and lion tamer and she bowed. "It seems like it's about to rain. You two should find cover or else you'll catch a cold."

The lion tamer immediately bowed back. "Oh, thank you for your concern. We will-WAIT!"

His whole body snapped up straight and he pointed a finger at the girl. "Damn you! I will not have you interfere with what I came here to do! I am here to burn down your ship so that even if the rubber guy escapes Captain Buggy's flashy execution, he has no chance of leaving!"

_Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!_

"EEEK!" the lion tamer shrieked as he and the lion had to leap back several feet to avoid a fistful of cards. They lodged deeply into the stone pavement and even managed to graze off the front leather of the lion tamer's shoes.

Emmy held up another hand of cards. "You will do no such thing," she stated, "Both Merry-san and Luffy will be fine."

_Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!_

More cards were flung at them, forcing them to back away even more from the ship. This time, the cuts were aimed higher. They grazed the man's cheek and managed to shave the side of Richie's mane.

The lion tamer's brows furrowed and he pulled out his whip. "You think you can take me on without the rubber guy? Don't you remember how it went down the last time? Richie! Get her!"

The lion bounded down the harbor and he leapt onto the deck.

"Richie, would you like a treat?" Emmy asked just as he landed right in front of her.

The lion's snarl immediately disappeared and he sat down with his tail wagging.

"Who's a good boy?!" Emmy said as she pulled out a bag of dried meats from her apron pocket. She was saving it for when Luffy got back but desperate times called for desperate measures.

The lion began to purr and nuzzle Emmy with his nose as she dropped a couple of dried meats onto the deck and rubbed him behind his ears.

"RICHIE! You're such a-" the lion tamer shouted indignantly.

"I knew I felt a bit of hunger," Emmy said with a smile as the lion began to happily eat up all the meat. She then frowned at the lion tamer, "You should really take better care of your pet."

The lion tamer stamped his foot. "How dare you lecture me about lion taming! I am Mohji, Vice-Captain of the Buggy the Clown Pirates. I will not be talked down to by a brat like you!"

"Oh, nice to meet you, Mohji-san. My name is Monkey D. Emmy," Emmy said with a bow of her head.

He returned the gesture, "Yes. Very nice to- AH! STOP DOING THAT!"

"I'm only being polite," Emmy said with a frown, "What's wrong with that?"

"Enough!" Mohji shouted indignantly and pulled out his whip, "I'll finish what I started! There's no way the rubber guy can interfere this time."

"Maybe not...but it doesn't mean I'm alone," Emmy said, "Nor am I helpless. I will protect Luffy and my nakama with my life!"

Mohji cracked his whip and he laughed. "We'll see about that!"

_Kaboom!_

Before the lion tamer could even make another move, a bolt of concentrated lightning struck him in his step. He collapsed on to the ground with smoke billowing out of his mouth. Emmy and Richie both gasped in surprise. The lion blinked and then jumped off the ship towards his master. He took his master's collar between his teeth and started to pull his smoking master away from the ship. He was done for the day and his lion knew it.

Emmy took a step forward towards the railing and her eyes moved to a familiar green cloaked figure standing further down the harbor. "D-san?"

His face was shadowed by his drawn up hood but she could see the whites of his teeth that were shaped into a grin.

"Thank you!" she called out. There was no doubt in her mind that he and the lightning were connected in some way. After all, he had appeared just seconds before it hit. The man gave her a nod before dashing off back into town.

"EMMY!"

Emmy's attention was severed from the mysterious Mr. D as she moved her head towards the center of town. Was it her imagination or did she hear Luffy call out to her?

But before she could wonder any more about it, a giant crack of lightning came splicing down from the heavens. It struck in the same direction Emmy had heard Luffy's voice. The darkened clouds were suddenly enveloped in a flash of bright light and the thunder was so loud that the very foundation of the island shook along with the waters surrounding it.

The Merry began to sway violently and Emmy had to grab on tightly to the railings to keep herself from tumbling backwards. A thick curtain of rain poured down heavily on her and she shivered while trying to steady her foothold. Her eyes locked to where the lightning had struck and she got a very bad feeling in her stomach. _Luffy...everyone...Are you all okay?! What is going on?_

* * *

"Nami-swannnn! Emmy-chwannn! Your prince has returned to protect you!" Sanji yelled as sprinted down the coast with the marines at his heels.

Nami and Usopp had returned to the ship a few minutes after the rain started with all of the gear and supplies they needed. They were then followed by a group of marines, who were adamant about sinking the Going Merry. Thankfully, because of the weather, their cannon wicks were wet and could not ignite. That did not stop them from firing their guns at the ship, though. The pirates had no choice but to raise the anchor and sail away to safety in hopes that Luffy, Sanji, and Zoro would be able to reunite with them soon.

Emmy leaned over the railing and called out to the cook. "Sanji! Where are Luffy and Zoro?"

"They're coming!" Sanji shouted, "Can you guys sail near the island so we can pick those idiots up when they get here?"

Instead of answering, Nami let out a shriek and pointed behind the cook, "Sanji-kun! Behind you!"

Sanji paused in his step and swiftly kicked back three marines, while four more closed in on him.

"I'll cover his back! Get closer," Usopp said to Nami.

"We can't! The current is too strong for us to turn," Nami replied.

"Damn it!" Usopp cursed. He leapt over the railing and down into the water.

"Usopp!" Nami and Emmy gasped just as his head popped out from the stormy sea with his slingshot in hand.

"Take this!" Usopp cried as he fired pachinko balls one after the other into the small of the marines' backs. He took down the marines in the back of the group while Sanji took care of the ones at the center surrounding him.

"Nami," Emmy said in alarm when she noticed that they were starting to sail further and further away from the island, "We need to steer the ship. Move around it so-"

"Like I said," Nami gulped, "The current is too strong and this storm…"

Her eyes went up to the darkened sky and Emmy felt a flash of worry and dread from the navigator. "This storm came out of nowhere and it's too powerful. We can't fight this headwind. If Luffy and Zoro don't get here in the next couple of minutes, we're going to be too far for them to even swim after us."

"It came out of nowhere," Emmy murmured as she followed the navigator's gaze at the storm clouds above. _D-san...He created this...he saved me...and now he's blowing us away...is he a friend or is he trying to separate us?_

As if he was reading her thoughts, the blackened skies turned green and the rain came to a halt only to be replaced by turbulent green winds. The eye of the wind storm was directly at the center of the island and the harsh winds blasted through every street and alley. Emmy and Nami could see people flying up into the air, along with roof shingles, tree branches, and pieces of the town life. Then, they didn't have time to observe as the wind caught up to the edges of the island and rushed through the Going Merry. The strong gust sent Emmy and Nami flying. The navigator quickly grabbed onto the railings to keep herself from blowing away, while the first mate, who had slightly slower reflexes, held tightly onto the top of the ship's rigging at the last second.

The wind stung Emmy's eyes and she had no choice but to close them. It roared loudly past her ears and blew all the cold rain off of skin. All of her senses were overwhelmed by this unnatural storm and she could think of nothing but the image of that green cloaked figure.

Then the wind stopped just as abruptly as it came and Emmy found herself tangled among the rope ladder. The rain started to pour down again. She opened her eyes and looked around her. From her heightened spot, she could see further into the harbor. Her breath caught in her chest when she saw a familiar red vest and straw hat lying amongst the debris.

"LUFFY!" she called out, "LUFFY! Hurry!"

"EMMY!" he cheered back, "Ah! What is the Merry doing all the way over there?"

He was soon joined by the cook, the swordsman, and the sniper, who had all miraculously blown to that corner of the harbor with their captain. Emmy smiled to herself as she watched her brother launch himself, and the boys, towards the ship. _Thank you, D-san...Whoever you are...Thank you…_

"EMMMMYYYYYY!" Luffy shouted as he came flying right into the sails with Usopp, Sanji, and Zoro. They bounced off the back of the sails and landed into a heap on the deck.

"I...I'm going to kill you," Zoro grunted to his captain.

Nami let out a breath of relief and she smiled up at Emmy. "They made it."

"Excuse me…" Emmy said as she tugged on the ropes that wrapped around her arms and legs, "Can someone help me? I think I might be stuck."

Luffy leapt to his feet and he hurriedly scrambled up the rope ladder to help free his sister. "Shishishishi. What were you doing up here, Emmy? Were you trying to spot us from the crow's nest?"

"No," Emmy sighed, "I got blown up here by that wind storm."

When Luffy climbed up next to her to start working on her arms first, she moved herself closer to him as much as possible. It was amazing how warm he was despite being in the middle of a rain shower.

"Where were you, Luffy?" Emmy asked softly as she leaned her head on his shoulder as he worked, "You had me worried."

"Shishishishi. Sorry," Luffy said as he picked at the ropes, "I got a little occupied with Buggy."

"Did...you call for me?" Emmy asked and Luffy looked at her.

"Huh?"

"I...thought I heard your voice earlier," Emmy said slowly, "Did something happen?"

"Nope," Luffy said with a grin and returned to the rope.

"Liar," Emmy said and felt Luffy's shoulder tense beneath her cheek.

"What about you, Emmy? What did you do?"

"Nothing much," Emmy replied and moved her eyes to the ropes on her arms, "I just browsed through a couple of stores...Then I came back to the ship."

"Liar," Luffy said but he clearly wasn't bothered by it since Emmy could hear the smile in his voice, "We're all back now. Isn't that all that matters? I'm fine. You're fine. Everyone's fine!"

"Yes," Emmy sighed, "You're right."

From under the rope ladder, the cook and the swordsman eyed the two Monkeys warily.

"Oy," Sanji growled to Zoro, "Remember what we promised Luffy."

"Idiot," Zoro scoffed, "Just make sure you don't cave and let it slip when she asks you."

"Of course not. It's for her own good," Sanji said as he thought back on that shaky moment on the platform. _That idiot really did think he was a goner. Apologizing to all of us like that and just saying "I'm dead" with a smile...Didn't even think about how Emmy-chan was going to react until_ after _he was saved by that lucky lightning strike._

" _Zoro...Sanji...Promise me something."_

Luffy's request came back into Sanji's head and he sighed.

" _Promise me you won't tell Emmy about this. We fought Buggy in the townsquare and lightning struck when we were trying to get away. That's all she needs to know. Got it?"_

"That idiot," Sanji muttered out loud as he tried to light a new cigarette in the rain, "If he knows it would only worry her, then he needs to be more careful."

"Same goes for her," Zoro grunted as he wiped the rain out of his eyes. _How the hell was she planning on getting out of the marine base without using her powers?_

"What...what are you guys grumbling about?" Usopp asked curiously as he got to his feet.

"Nothing," the cook and swordsman said in unison just as Luffy pulled Emmy off of the rope ladder and leapt down to the deck.

"Shishishishi. All done," he cheered as Emmy rubbed the slight rope burn on her arms, "Yosh! Nami! Let's head to the Grand Line!"

"We're already on our way," Nami said brightly back and smiled up into the distance, "Do you see that lighthouse?"

"Eh? Lighthouse?" her nakama asked and they joined her near the ship's bow. Emmy put a hand over her eyes to block out the rain. She narrowed her eyes and gradually, she could see the silhouette of a lighthouse on the edge of an island. It's light was pointed out in one direction.

"The light is not moving," Emmy said, "Is it broken?"

"No. That's called the 'guiding light'," the navigator informed her, "The entrance to the Grand Line lies ahead of that light."

"The Grand Line is ahead of that light…" Luffy breathed as he put his hand on the top of his hat while reaching for his sister's hand with the other. He gave her hand a squeeze and then he broke his gaze from the light to meet his sister's blue eyes.

They shared a smile and she gave his hand a squeeze back.

"Okay then! Should we hold a launching ceremony for setting sail on the great ocean?" Sanji suggested.

"OOOH! Yes!" Luffy cheered.

"Let's do it!" Usopp seconded.

Sanji smirked and planted a heel on top of the water barrel resting in the middle of the deck. "In order to find the All Blue."

Luffy grinned and ran over to join the cook. He placed a sandaled foot directly across from the cook's foot, "In order to become the King of Pirates!"

Zoro's foot soon was added. "In order to become a master swordsman."

Emmy blushed and hitched up her skirt to lift her black, mary jane covered heel. "In order to achieve absolute freedom."

Nami laughed and placed her heel next to Emmy's. "In order to draw a world map."

Usopp took a deep breath and finished the circle. "In order to become a brave warrior of the sea!"

They all smiled at the collection of shoes. They were all of different shapes and sizes and the only thing they had in common was where they were placed and where they were pointed towards.

"We're going to the Grand Line!" Luffy cheered.

"Yeah!" his nakama yelled back.


	33. I am Very Attractive.

"Ready?"

Emmy gulped as she looked around the room. The crew, save the swordsman, was sitting in the galley and around the dining table. Emmy sat near the middle of the table with Sanji directly across from her. Usopp sat next to him while Luffy sat beside Emmy. Behind the first mate stood Nami, who had her fingers already lifting the corner of her bandage.

"Ready," Emmy said softly and Nami swiftly tore off the gauze. Emmy sucked in a breath and waited to hear the results, "Well?"

Luffy craned his necks to see too and Emmy could feel Luffy's excited breath hit her skin. "Oooh! It's still there!"

Nami smiled and put her hand on Emmy's headband. "Yep. The tattoo is all set in and the skin has healed nicely and naturally from it. Should be good to use your powers now."

Emmy took in another breath and she looked up at the pair sitting directly across from her. "Are you two ready?"

Usopp gave her the thumbs up sign. "Ready."

"I am too, Emmy-chan," Sanji said, "But don't rush into it if you're not comfortable. Take your-"

"DO IT!" Luffy cheered and Sanji gave him a smack across the head.

"Idiot! Don't rush Emmy-chan! This is going to be the hardest on her and the most people taken in at one time!" Sanji snapped.

"It's okay," Emmy said, "I'm ready too...I mean, it's better to do this now before we enter the Grand Line."

Nami nodded, "Yep and given the wind today, I would estimate us arriving at Reverse Mountain in about an hour."

Usopp scratched his chin. "Er...Isn't Zoro keeping watch right now?" he asked nervously, "Is it wise to leave him in charge of navigating while we're down here?"

Nami shook her head. "We're already caught in the current. As long as we don't touch the rudder, we should be fine. Not even Zoro could mess this up."

Luffy crossed his arms and shook his head disappointedly at Zoro. "He's not very reliable."

"You're not one to talk!" Nami, Usopp, and Sanji shouted back.

"Please...please calm down," Emmy said and she put her hands up in the air for emphasis, "I need you all to be as relaxed and calm as possible. I don't want to stir up any annoyance or anger."

"Too late," Nami sighed but she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, "Okay. I'm calming myself."

"Me too," Usopp said with one eye open while Sanji dutifully closed both his eyes.

"Okay…" Emmy said slowly and then she moved the headband off her head. She set it down on the table and then closed her own eyes, "Here goes."

She moved her hand immediately to Luffy. "Feel Feel Pacify."

"Hehehehehe," Luffy chuckled as he slumped over the table, "I feel so nice..."

Emmy smiled defeatedly at her brother while she focused on the girl standing behind her. Knowing Nami's past definitely helped Emmy sort through all the emotions within the girl. Nami was feeling every emotion a person could possibly experience. She was annoyed, worried, but also underneath all of that was glee and relief. Nami was very happy to be with them and it made Emmy happy to know that the navigator had found some peace.

Over all of that, though, was her natural temperament. Nami was extremely cautious and it surprised Emmy because it was more than what she was getting from Usopp. Their navigator had her guard way up even around her nakama when Usopp's usual fearful attitude was currently at an all-time low.

 _That explains why Nami is so bossy. She's always thinking about the worst case scenario,_ Emmy thought and then moved her focus on Usopp.

He was the easiest because, as she discovered when she first met him, his emotions were very straightforward and genuine. He wasn't one thing in particular because he just felt everything intensely as it happened. When he was happy, he was ecstatic. When he was angry, he was livid. When he was scared, he was petrified. Everything with Usopp was based on what was happening. He was a very reactive person.

Then Emmy pursed her lips and moved to the most confusing person out of everyone so far. Sanji had a couple of emotions in him that Emmy could not quite understand. There was the pinkish feeling that Zoro had called "foolishness" and also a red feeling. She didn't know what that red feeling was but she always got a hint of it whenever he cooked or whenever he was around Nami. However, both those mysterious emotions were currently kept at a low simmer. It was clear the cook was good at staying calm and composed. Emmy wasn't sure how to describe Sanji. Not yet at least.

"Sanji…" Emmy said as she reached across the table and placed her hands palms up at the center, "Would you mind if I take a closer look?"

"No...Not at all," Sanji replied and smoothly placed his hand in hers, "It would be an honor."

"Thank you," Emmy murmured, ignoring the surprise rising out of the people around her, her brother especially, "Feel Feel...Reveal…"

Hearts sprang out from Sanji and connected him to Emmy. Just like with Gin, Emmy was pulled into a world of white along with the cook. Unlike the first time, though, the person whose Emmy's world had entered seemed much more welcoming.

"So this is what you did to Gin, huh?" Sanji mused with his hands stuffed in his pocket and his eyes watched the air around them steadily change in color.

"Yes," Emmy said with her head tilted and her ears perked. When his world turned red, she stilled for just a moment before she let out a little smile, "So...that's what that is."

"Eh?"

"I was wondering what that feeling was...and your heart was telling me that it was passion."

"My heart?" Sanji asked and then took another new look around him, "So this is the inside of my heart…But more importantly, Emmy-chan, you don't know what passion is?"

Emmy shook her head, just as the world changed to pink. Then she shot a puzzled look at the cook. "Oh…that's not foolishness...That's...flirty? What does that mean, Sanji?"

"Oh...well," Sanji said as he pondered how to define it delicately for the little lady, "It's when you find someone attractive and want to show it to them in a playful and light hearted manner."

"Find someone attractive…" Emmy repeated, "So that's why you feel...flirty?...around Nami and other women. You find them attractive."

"Yes."

"Do you not find me attractive?" Emmy asked, purely out of curiosity, "You don't get this...pink...around me normally."

"Flirty only applies to people you are attracted to in a specific way, Emmy-chan," Sanji said, "So no, I do not find you attractive in that way but that does not mean you are not attractive. I'm sure in the future, there will be someone who feels flirty towards you."

A certain idiot came to the cook's mind but he knew better than to say anything to the girl.

"I'd rather no one finds me attractive, to be honest," Emmy admitted, "I'm much happier being overlooked than the target of anyone's attention."

"I'm sure that's not true," Sanji replied, "Wouldn't you be sad if any one of us ignored you?"

"I'd be more worried that I had done something wrong or that there was something important weighing on your mind that I couldn't help with," Emmy said and then she smiled at Sanji, "But this isn't about me. It's about you and I've learned what I came here to learn. Thank you for letting me in."

She snapped her fingers. "Release."

They returned to the real world with Sanji's hand still in both of hers. He smoothly turned his hand around and lifted her hand up. Sanji kissed the back of Emmy's hand and gave it a small pat with his other hand. "You are very welcome, little lady, and if there's anything you're curious about in the future, please don't hesitate to ask me."

Emmy looked curiously at the hand that he had just kissed. She had seen male Nobles do it at times to other females and knew it was some sort of sign of respect. _He must have picked that up when serving lords and ladies at the Baratie._

Usopp, Nami, and Luffy were at a loss. It seemed like they had stumbled into the middle of a conversation and yet everyone had been in the same room the entire time. Sanji and Emmy had sat very still in their seats with their eyes closed.

"What...what was that about?" Usopp asked.

"I was listening to Sanji's heart," Emmy said, "It was teaching me about things I've never felt before."

"Emmy," Luffy grumbled

Emmy batted her eyes at her brother. She was confused as why Luffy was in a bad mood. Usually he was excited and happy whenever she did something with her powers. She tapped into his emotions a bit more. "Luffy…? Why are you jealous?"

"Eh? Jealous?" Luffy asked, "I'm not jealous. I just don't like it."

"Like what?" Emmy asked, "That I used my powers on Sanji? I thought you said I should-"

"I don't know. I just don't like it," he said and then reached over to take her hand from Sanji's. "I'm bored. Let's go see what Zoro is doing."

"Eh? But-" Emmy started to protest as he got to his feet and pulled her out of the room.

"Idiot," Usopp muttered when the doors closed behind them.

"Which one?" Nami asked.

"It's a toss up," Usopp said and Sanji nodded in agreement.

"This is going to be a long road for them, isn't it?" Sanji sighed.

"Of course it is," the navigator huffed, "And it's not helping for you to pull stunts like that, Sanji-kun! You're going to confuse her with your flirting."

"I'm not flirting," Sanji replied, "I'm just being a gentlemen. Besides, I know better than to make a play for the boss' lady."

"Do you?" Usopp and Nami asked, their voice dripping with skepticism.

"OY! You stupid love cook, you taught Emmy what it means to flirt?!"

Despite not being the target of the swordsman's roar, Nami and Usopp still paled and shrank into the woodwork. If Zoro decided to storm into the room, there was a slight chance he would view them as accomplices.

"You guys better come out here. We're about to sail straight into a storm," Luffy's voice interrupted, "Nami! Does that mean we're getting closer to the Red Line?"

"What?! Storm?" Nami gasped.

The impending weather took precedent and everyone scrambled out towards the deck. Even the swordsman was looking warily at the skies and not at the cook. Nami took one look at the darkened clouds that they were just about to sail under and turned to the crew. "Sanji-kun! Could you get the sails?"

"Yes, Nami-san!" he dutifully responded and then looked sternly at his captain, "You help out too, Luffy!"

"Eh?!," Luffy protested but then climbed up the rigging with Sanji to furl the sails.

Emmy left Zoro and Usopp on the deck to go into the storage room but soon the she reappeared carrying an armload of red raincoats just as rain came pouring down onto the deck.

"Please put these on. I finished making them just yesterday," Emmy said as she handed one to her and Nami before giving the rest to Zoro and Usopp, who tossed a couple up to Luffy and Sanji, who were hanging over the ship's yard.

"Thanks, Emmy!" Nami said as she slipped on the raincoat and pulled the hoodie over her head.

"Oy! I see the mystery mountain!" Luffy called out excitedly from his spot with only one arm in the sleeve of his raincoat.

The whole crew finished bundling up and turned towards the front of the ship. Off in the distance, they could see reddened cliffs that stretched along the horizon and no matter how far Emmy tried to crane her neck to either side, she could not see an end to it. Then she tilted her head up. The cliffs reached up into the sky and its' summits were hidden among the darkened clouds. It was less like a cliff and more like an endless wall with no top in sight.

"Th-th-that's insanely huge!" Usopp breathed.

"So...this is the Red Line?" Emmy whispered.

"Have you never seen it before?" Zoro asked, "You must have passed it when you came out of the Grand Line."

"I was always kept below deck or at least indoors," Emmy said, "So I don't even know when I passed it. Besides...when I went with Gramps, we went through the Calm Belt."

"WHAT?!" Nami gasped and she grabbed Emmy by the raincoat, "You knew it was swimming with Sea Kings and yet you didn't say anything when we tried to go in there a few days ago?!"

"I didn't know! Honest!" Emmy said, "There were no Sea Kings when Gramps and I sailed through!"

"How is that possible?!" Nami demanded.

"Oy! She said she doesn't know so obviously she doesn't know!" Zoro said and wedged himself in between the two girls, "Nami, let it go and just focus on getting us up this mystery mountain."

"Fine," Nami huffed and then looked back over at the Red Line, "This current we're on should pull us towards the entrance so we should carry on straight ahead."

"WHAT?! There is no entrance!" Usopp shrieked, "Are you trying to kill us?"

"Ah! Nami-swan is so sexy when gets down to business," Sanji swooned as he leapt back down onto the deck.

Nami shot a wink at Sanji, which almost stopped his heart. Emmy could attest to it because she felt it and let out a short gasp.

"What? What happened?" Zoro demanded.

"Nothing...Sanji...was just feeling flirty...that's all," Emmy said.

Zoro scowled and pulled Emmy towards the aft of the ship. "Stay away from the fool, Emmy. And you, you perv, don't teach Emmy unnecessary things!"

Emmy rushed to Sanji's defense. "It wasn't his fault! I learned it through my power. I wanted to know."

"Better she knows anyways. Someday some strange creep will flirt with her and at least she'll be aware of what it is so it's less of a worry for us," Sanji said.

"You're the strange creep I'm worried about the most!" Zoro shouted.

"Don't worry. No one will ever flirt with me," Emmy said, trying her best to placate the situation while a storm brew overhead, "I'll make sure it never happens."

"That's not really something you can prevent," Usopp sighed but it was mostly to himself so the first mate did not catch it.

"If any one tries to flirt with Emmy, I'll stop them!" Luffy declared and jumped off the yard. He landed right next to his sister and he frowned at her. "What's flirting anyways?"

 _Idiot…_ , his nakama thought to themselves.

"Sanji says it's when you find someone attractive and want to show it to them," Emmy stated.

Luffy tilted his head to the side. "Yeah, that could be a problem. You're very attractive, Emmy."

Emmy lowered her head and her shoulders slumped. "Am I?"

"Yeah. You even attract wild animals," Luffy said, "That's why you're such good bait."

Emmy sighed. "But...I don't want to be attractive."

Luffy nodded fervently. "Yeah. We don't want any beasts to come and flirt with you and make you their dinner."

"This is the stupidest conversation I've ever heard," Nami murmured to Usopp, who could only nod in agreement, as he gaped at the two fools.

"YOSH!" Luffy shouted and pumped his fists in the air, "I'll make sure no one ever flirts with Emmy. Whoever does, I'll kick their ass!"

The heavens responded with a bolt of lightning. It refocused the group and they hurriedly clustered towards the front of the ship to get a better look of the incoming mountain. Zoro pulled out a set of binoculars. He fitted it to his eyes and tried to find this magical entrance that the navigator was sure it existed. He saw a crack in the cliff and his jaw dropped when he got a better look at it. "This can't be for real...The damn ocean really is flowing up the mountain!"

"See?" Nami said and placed her hands on her hips, "I told you so!"

"You are the navigator," Emmy replied, "So you were just doing your job."

"What?! Do you realize that not many ships are able to make it through the Grand Line even with a navigator?! I'm a genius!" Nami huffed.

"Say that when we get through," Emmy said, "Not before."

Nami stomped over to her and grabbed the binoculars out of Zoro's hands. "Fine!" Nami said, "But once we get through, I want you to say, loud and proud, that Nami is the best navigator in the world."

"No," Emmy said flatly, "I'll say that when you manage to get us to the One Piece."

"Why you-" Nami started to say.

"OY! We're approaching the entrance! Now what?!" Zoro shouted.

Nami gasped and whipped her head to the front. She didn't need binoculars anymore as she could see the entrance clear as day. A canal went right up the narrowed split in the cliffs with the water flowing inwards and upwards. Rectangular arches lined up along the canal with intricate markings etched into its grey stone slabs.

"We have to make our way through those water gates just right," Nami said, noting how much narrower the stone gates made the entrance, "If we're off just by a little bit, our ship will smash into pieces! Usopp! Sanji-kun! Take the rudder!"

"Yosh!" they shouted and ran back into the galley.

The ship swayed from a combination of the harsh current and the strong winds. Luffy's eyes widened when the Going Merry started to veer towards the left. "W-We're getting off course! Move it toward the right! The right, Usopp!"

"Okay! Okay…," Usopp grunted. There was a pause as everyone on deck waited for the ship to correct its trajectory but then suddenly, a sickening sound of wood snapping came from the room.

"AH! THE RUDDER!" Sanji shouted, which made Zoro, Nami, and Emmy run towards them to see what had happened.

They shrieked when they saw the broken whipstaff clutched in the sniper and cook's arms. "You broke it?!" Nami exclaimed.

"It wouldn't move!" Usopp cried, "The current was too strong!"

"Gum Gum…" Luffy shouted from behind them and they all ran back towards the aft of the ship just in time to see their inflated captain jump over Merry's figurehead and towards the first stone gate that they were just about to crash into, "Balloon!"

The corner of the railing pressed up against the captain's belly and flattened him against the archway. Luffy turned blue in the face but that did not stop him. He planted his feet up against his beloved ship and kicked it away with the added force of his belly springing back to its expanded shape. The Going Merry's path was adjusted and it started to sail right up the canal while the captain, now without something pinning him to the wall, started to fall down into the water.

"Luffy!" Zoro shouted as he leaned over the side of the ship and extended his hand, "Grab on!'

"Thanks!" Luffy called out as he shot out his arm, grabbing Zoro by the elbow and pulled himself back into the ship.

"You did it!" Emmy said and clapped her hands, "We're climbing up the mountain now!"

"Woohooo! We made it!" Usopp and Sanji cheered from inside the galley.


	34. I am in a Whale Load of Pain.

As they ascended up the mountain, the rain started to lighten until it disappeared completely with only the grey clouds overhead as a sign of the earlier storm. Nami whipped off her raincoat and twirled it around her head as a refreshing breeze blew downwards and over their faces. "Yay! Now it's just a straight shot to the summit!"

Emmy pressed her palms together and brought the sides of her fingers to her lips. She stayed very still with her eyes fixed on the road ahead.

"How are you feeling, Emmy?" Luffy asked with a grin as he draped himself over her shoulder with his head resting on top of hers. She could feel his smile just by how his chin was digging into her skull.

"Nervous...but...excited," Emmy said without moving her hands away from their position, "Really excited."

"Shishishshi. Good," Luffy laughed, "Now, how am I feeling?"

"Really, _really_ excited," Emmy said as the air around them started to turn misty.

"Oooh, we're going through the clouds!" Luffy cried. He ran around Emmy and leapt to his spot on the Merry's figurehead to get the best seat in the house. They sailed up and over the storm back to sunny blue skies and yet they were not quite at the top yet.

The sun thawed out the chill on Emmy's skin from the rain, the mist and the wind. The water in front of them glistened and twinkled like sparkling diamonds before it crashed onto the peak and curved downwards into another canal.

"The summit! It's the summit!" Nami shouted, "Brace yourself, everyone!"

"Emmy! Get over here," Zoro ordered and Emmy quickly scurried over to his side where he had a firm grip on the rigging that connected the deck to the top of the mast. She held on tightly as well while he put his other hand on her shoulder, securing her in place.

As soon as they reached the peak, the Merry rocketed into the air. For a moment, Emmy felt weightless with only Zoro's hand as a source of pressure. Even the Merry seemed to float above the summit, the water, and clouds for just a few extra breaths. They all came crashing down into the neighboring canal that pushed all the water down the side of Reverse Mountain and into the Grand Line.

"Yahoo!" Luffy cheered as he hung onto his hat.

The Going Merry descended down the mountain at a much faster pace than they had gone up. A bright, expansive blue sea laid out in front of them. Emmy smiled against the wind as she kept a hand on top of her headband. _Merry-san,_ Emmy thought, _Are you just as excited to get to the Grand Line as everyone else? We're on our way to a great adventure._

"This is the greatest sea in the world! The Grand Line! The One Piece is up ahead, somewhere!" Luffy cried out excitedly, "Let's go!"

They cleared through the clouds once again and the mist rushed up to their faces, giving them a nice, rejuvenating sensation as they continued downward.

"Whoa! This is great!" Sanji cheered.

"Yahoo!" Nami screamed.

A low, horn like blast rang out from somewhere outside the mist and Zoro tilted his head to the side to get a better listen. "Did you hear that?"

"N...No…." Emmy breathed.

Zoro noticed the slight waver in her voice and he looked down at the girl in time to see streams of tears flowing down her eyes. "What?! What's going on? What happened?"

"I...I don't know…" Emmy sniffled, "I just...suddenly feel...very...sad…"

"Eh?!"

The horn sound became louder and Zoro looked up ahead to see what was going on. "Oy! Does anyone else hear that?!"

"It could just be the wind. There are many unusual landforms ahead," Nami shouted back.

"Ah! Nami-san! I see a mountain up ahead!" Sanji reported from the crow's nest.

"A mountain?! That's impossible. After passing the Twin Capes up ahead, there should be nothing but ocean," Nami said.

"Oy. Emmy," Zoro grunted just as they finished passing through the clouds, "Get yourself together. This is no time to-Oh, crap! Is that a wall?!"

Everyone's eyes widened at the black solid form that stood right at the base of the mountain, right where the canal met the sea.

"It's not a mountain or a wall!" Nami gasped, "It's..a...it's..a…."

"WHALE!" Usopp shrieked as he adjusted the goggles over his eyes, "It's a whale!"

The black solid form began to split apart revealing large, sharp teeth. Then it let out another low, rumbling roar, which made Emmy cry even harder.

"Oy! Emmy! Pull yourself together!" Zoro snapped and this time there was no rushing winds to cover his voice.

Luffy's head snapped towards them. "Oy! Emmy! What happened?"

"I...I don't know," Emmy whimpered, "I suddenly feel so...alone."

"Oy! Deal with her later! Let's get past the whale first!" Zoro shouted, "Unless we do something, we're going to crash right into it."

He scoured the side of the canal and he spotted an opening towards the left of the whale. "We might be able to wedge through that area! Port! Hard to port!"

"But the rudder is broken!" Usopp shrieked.

Zoro ran into the galley. "We need to try something!" he said as Sanij and Usopp quickly followed him in to try and move the ship, "If this doesn't work, the ship won't turn!"

"Nami! Take care of Emmy, I got an idea!" Luffy shouted as he hopped off his seat and ran to the deck below.

"Eh?" Nami gasped, "Where are you going?!"

The rubber boy did not reply and the navigator couldn't do anything except tend to the crying first mate. Nami put an arm around the blonde reassuringly. "Emmy, are you scared of going back to the Grand Line? This must be really hard for you, isn't it?"

Emmy shook her head. "No...It's not me...It's the whale."

"WHAT?!"

Emmy pointed up at the giant obstacle in their way and she winced. "It's not just it's size that's big but it's feelings too."

"You can't be serious!"

"I-"

_Boom!_

The two girls lurched backwards when a cannon fired from the deck below. The force of the cannon pulled the Merry back just enough to slow it down from it's top speed and it sailed at a more controlled pace towards the whale. However, it didn't decelerate quite enough and the figurehead of the Going Merry snapped off as soon as it slammed up against the whale. The figurehead came flying back towards the deck and landed right next to Nami and Emmy.

"AH! My seat!" Luffy cried from the cannon room.

"Worry about that later!" Zoro seethed as he pulled Sanji and Usopp with him to the lower decks. They rowed the ship around and away from the whale, "Let's get out of here before it's too late!"

The whale opened up his mouth again and let out another loud cry. Being right up against the whale, the vibrations were too much for the human ears and the pirates all clamped their hands over their heads.

When the call finally stopped, the pirates lowered their hands with only Emmy remained clutching her head. "Please...please no more…" she whimpered.

"You…! What the hell did you do to my special seat?!" Luffy seethed as he threw back his hand and punched the closest part of the whale, which happened to be his eye.

"AHHHHH! You idiot!" Zoro, Sanji, Nami, and Usopp shrieked.

Luffy snapped his hand back and glared at the whale. Then he noticed his sister was still weeping. "Oy. Nami. Why is she still crying?"

"It's not my fault, you jerk!" Nami snapped, "It's because of the stupid whale. It's-"

"You! You made Emmy cry too?!" Luffy shouted as he raised his fist again.

"Stop it already, you idiot!" Zoro and Usopp shouted as they landed a flying kick into the small of Luffy's back but it was too late. The whale's attention was on them now.

He lowered his head and opened its massive jaws. Water began to get sucked into the whale's stomach and it dragged along the Going Merry.

"Ahhh!" Luffy screamed as he fell overboard.

"LUFFY!" his crew cried out after him but they were getting pulled away too fast and too forcefully for any one of them to even spot where the captain went.

Emmy was too overwhelmed by the whale's inexplicable sadness and too busy trying to make sure she, herself, didn't get thrown overboard to notice what was going on around her. All she could do was cry and wait for either ship or the whale to steady itself. She didn't care which. Then, just as abruptly as it started, the whale swiftly closed his mouth and the water stilled.

"Emmy-chan," Sanji said as he knelt beside her, 'Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she sniffed, "I just..can't stop crying. This...whale...this whale is filled with loneliness."

"Then whatever you do, don't take off your headband," Sanji said as he helped her to her feet, "I can't imagine how you'd feel with it off."

Emmy nodded and then her teary eyes widened at the sight around them. "I thought...we got swallowed by the whale."

"That's what I thought too…" Sanji said.

"So how...do you explain...this?" Nami asked as she gestured towards the blue skies over their heads and a small house floating on its own island in front of them.

"Is...this a dream?" Usopp asked.

"Yep...Probably," Zoro said.

The water rose right in front of the Merry's broken figurehead and the head of a Great King Squid broke through the surface. It's large green eyes stared right down at the pirates.

"AHHHHH!" Usopp and Nami screamed as Zoro grabbed his swords and Sanji bent his legs.

_Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!_

Three harpoons shot through the squid from the back of the head. It caught Emmy off guard and she inhaled a sharp breath. Instantly, Zoro and Sanji's eyes went towards her.

"What is it? Did you feel that too?" Sanji asked.

"No, I just got surprised that's all," Emmy said and pointed upwards towards the sky, "Beside, this whale's sadness is overtaking everything else. I can't even feel what you guys are feeling even though you're all closer to me than he is."

"Forget about the whale," Usopp cried, "What's going to happen to us?"

"Come to think of it...Where's Luffy?" Nami gasped.

"Don't worry about that idiot," Zoro grunted, "He'll be fine."

The door to the house creaked open and the pirates cast a wary eye towards the island. There was no light shining inside the house so all they could see was the silhouette of a man standing beneath the doorframe.

"Sh-sh-should we fire the cannon at that island?!" Usopp shrieked.

"Emmy," Zoro called out abruptly, "Since Luffy isn't here, as the first mate, you're in command so stop crying and take charge."

"Oy! Be more delicate with Emmy-chan!" Sanji snapped, "it's not her fault-"

"It's fine…Zoro's right...It is my responsibility," Emmy sniffed and wiped the tears from her face, despite having more come out and take its place. She smoothed out her apron and walked to the front of the ship, "We do not fire the cannons. We will wait to see if he's a friend or foe."

Zoro nodded and relaxed his stance.

The squid in front of them started to get dragged towards the island as the man pulled on the ropes from inside his own home.

"Amazing..he killed that squid all by himself," Nami murmured.

"Do you think he was just fishing or...did he do it to save us?" Sanji asked.

"Only one way to find out. We'll need to talk to him," Emmy said as the man came out of the house.

The man had a stocky build and he was bald at the top with long white hair near the back of his head that reached to his shoulders. At the top of his head, sat yellow and purple petals. He had a stern chin, a protruding bottom lip, and a prominent nose. Their eyes locked and she watched him move to the lawn chair right outside his island. His gaze was unmoving from Emmy as he flicked open his newspaper.

"I-If-you wanna fight, just say so, you bastard!" Usopp boasted as he ran towards the back of the ship, "We've got cannons!"

"You'd better not, or someone will die," the old man stated.

Nami and Usopp shrank even further away from the island while Sanji took a tentative step forward.

"Oh? And just who're you saying would die?" the cook asked.

"Me," the man replied bluntly.

"What?! Don't joke around!" Sanji snarled and Emmy put a hand up to stop him.

"Calm down, Sanji," she said.

Zoro smirked at the cook's lack of composure and he nodded at the old man. "Hey. Tell us where we are and who you are."

There was a long, drawn out silence as the man straightened up the newspaper in hand and glared at the swordsman. "When asking someone a question, isn't it proper manners to give your name first?"

"Hm? Oh yeah...good point. My name is Roronoa-"

"My name is Crocus," the old man interrupted, "I'm the lighthouse keeper of the Twin Capes. I'm 71 years old and a Gemini. My blood type is AB."

"I'm going to cut him!" Zoro seethed as Emmy lifted her other hand.

"Shh," she murmured, "He's still speaking."

"You're asking where we are?" Crocus continued to chastise, "How dare you run your mouth when you barged into my private resort? What does this look like to you? The belly of a rat's den?"

She smoothed out her apron and she bowed her head. "Good afternoon, Crocus-san. My name is Monkey D. Emmy and these are my nakama. I am 15 years old and a Cancer. My blood type is O. We are very sorry to have intruded on your private resort. It does seem like we've been swallowed by a whale then. Do you happen to know a way out?"

There was another extended pause and only Emmy seemed to be unaffected by it. Zoro and Sanji both clenched their jaws as Nami and Usopp clung fearfully to each other. Then the man shot another glare over at Emmy. Then he pointed a finger to something behind them. "If you want out, the exit is right over there."

"What?! That easy?!" Everyone except Emmy shouted.

She nodded her head at the old man and she smiled at him. "Thank you, Crocus-san."

They all turned to see where the man was point towards and that's when they spotted big metal, double doors that seemed to be resting in the middle of the green sea along the blue sky.

"Why is there an exit in a whale's belly?!" Nami demanded, "Why's the door in the middle of nowhere?"

"It's not!" Usopp gasped and pointed up at the clouds, "Look closely. They're all painted. It's all a painting inside of the whale's stomach."

"Call it a doctor's playful mind," Crocus said.

"You bastard! What the hell are you doing in the middle of a whale's belly anyway?!" Usopp demanded and Emmy rested her hand against his shoulder.

"Usopp," she said, "Eno-"

She let in a startled gasp and her whole body tensed.

"Emmy?"

Her fingers dug into Usopp's shoulder and he cried out in pain. "Ow ow ow ow ow! Em-Em-Em-Emmy! You're hurting me! You're hurting me!"

"What has gotten into you?" Zoro snapped as he pulled Emmy away from Usopp by the waist. She started to thrash against his hold and beat her fists against his arms.

"Let me go! Let me go!" she roared, "I have to...I have...to...get to...my nakama!"

"What?! _We_ are your nakama!" Zoro said exasperatedly.

Suddenly, the waters around them began to sway violently and both the Going Merry and the island rocked against the waves. Nami let out a gasp and pointed at the island. The bottom was being exposed from the oscillating waves. "Look! That's not an island. It's a ship. On top of that, it's made of iron."

"That makes sense," Usopp said, "Since this is the stomach, we're sitting in it's gastric acid."

"I guess that means that wooden ships would melt if they stayed here too long," Sanji added.

"Let me go! Let me go!" Emmy huffed but she was not even a close match to Zoro's strength.

"Oy! Old man! You have any idea what's going on here?" Zoro demanded, ignoring the tantrum having first mate.

"This whale has...Laboon has started hitting his head against the Red Line," Crocus said.

"KYAAAAA!" Emmy cried and she buried her head in her hands as she slumped over Zoro's arm, "It hurts...Zoro...it hurts..."

"What?!" Zoro and Sanji gasped.

"Come to think of it, this whale has terrible scars on his forehead," Nami said.

"We need to stop it or else Emmy's going to feel an actual whale load of pain!" Usopp shrieked.

"I-I-I-...I can do it," Emmy said as she reached for her headband.

Sanji reached over and grabbed her by the wrist. "No! Emmy-chan, if you take that off, you'll feel even more and-"

"I can do it!" Emmy insisted and she yanked her headband off. Immediately, her whole body convulsed and she let out a heart wrenching scream.

"OY! EMMY. You-" Zoro started to shout.

"F-F-Feel Feel…" Emmy whimpered as she put her hand up to the sky, "Pacify…"

A puffy white heart expanded out from her hand and it kept expanding until it was almost as big as the whale's stomach. It lifted up and dissipated all around the painted clouds.

Emmy panted heavily against Zoro's arm as everyone else's breath caught in their chest. They stood there statue-like for any signs of success or familiar. Then slowly, Emmy's head lifted and a faint smile came across her face. "I told you...I could do it."

"Thank goodness," Nami and Usopp sighed with relief as Zoro's shoulders relaxed.

"What...what did you do?" Crocus demanded when he noticed that the water had started to stabilize and Laboon was no longer crying out.

"I ate the Feel Feel Fruit," Emmy breathed as beads of sweat dripped down her face. She was able to stand up by herself but found that Zoro was unmoving with his arm around her, "I'm an empath."

"The Feel Feel Fruit?!" Crocus gasped, "But that's…"

"So you know of it," Emmy said, she felt his recognition among other things, and she smiled, "How long have you been looking after the whale?"

"EH?! You're...looking after the whale?!" Usopp cried, "I thought you were trying to kill it!"

The first hint of a smile curled up on Crocus' lips. "So you felt my concern over Laboon, huh? It's been awhile since I spent time with a Feel Feel Fruit user."

Emmy blinked at him. "You...you've met the person who ate the fruit before me?"

"Ah," he said with a nod, "Although that was many, many years ago."

"Was he able to control his powers?!" Emmy asked.

Crocus pressed his lips thinly and his eyes slowly scanned over Emmy and then the rest of the crew. "So you haven't learned to control your powers yet? You haven't bonded?"

"Eh?" Emmy asked and everyone on the Going Merry tilted their head to the side.

"Bonded?"


	35. I am Bonding.

"Excuse me...What do you mean by-" Emmy started to ask but then she was cut off by a very familiar cry.

"EMMYYYY! SOMEBODY! HELP ME!"

Everyone's attention went overhead to see three bodies sailing across the painted blue skies. One of the three happened to be sporting a straw hat and a red vest. They dropped right into the green sea.

"Luffy?!" Usopp gasped as Zoro dove into the gastric acid to save his captain.

"Well," Crocus sighed as he looked around the skies, "It looks like you managed to calm Laboon down for a bit but it's only a temporary relief. I'll still need to give Laboon some sedatives to settle him down."

"So you _are_ treating Laboon-san," Emmy said with a smile.

"Ah," Crocus said and then stonily glanced over at the blonde, "And you sensed his suffering."

"Yes. Although, it was more than I could handle," Emmy admitted

"I'll go tend to Laboon...when I'm done I'll tell you about bonding. It might help," he said and then swiftly dove into the water and swam for the exit.

Before Emmy could call after him, Zoro burst through the water and tossed not only Luffy up to the deck but also the two other people that fell in with him. One was a orange haired man with a golden crown on his head while the other was a girl with luscious, blue hair tied up into a high ponytail.

_Thunk! Thunk!_

Two heavy bazookas landed right next to them before the swordsman climbed aboard himself. "God, what a hassle," he grunted.

"OOH! Mellorine!" Sanji swooned as he twirled over to the woman in the ponytail.

Emmy went over to Luffy as he sat up from his puddle of gastric acid and he grinned at her. "Ooh! Emmy, are you feeling better?"

"Yes," Emmy said as she got hit with his unabashed joy, "Much better."

"Shishishishi," he laughed and got up to his feet. Then he nodded over at the two new people on his ship, "Who're those guys?"

"You're the one that brought them over!" Sanji and Zoro snapped. Emmy winced at their anger and she shrank behind her brother.

"What's going on?" Luffy asked with a frown. He turned to look at her sister, "Why is your headband off?"

"I'm trying to calm down the whale," Emmy explained, "If I put my headband back on, he might have another episode."

"Huh?"

"I tamed the whale," Emmy oversimplified, "But only if I keep my headband on."

"Oooh!"

"Hey, the old guy is gone," Nami announced.

"Forget about him," Zoro said and pointed his sword at the two strangers, "We saved you guys for the time being but depending on who you guys are, we can easily unsave you."

The girl moved further away from Sanji's sappy grin and edged herself towards the man she came with. "Mr. 9, they're pirates," she hissed at him.

"I-I-I know. Miss Wednesday...B-But if we talk to them, they might understand," the man said back.

"Understand what?" Zoro asked.

Mr. 9 gulped. "We are here to take down this whale as part of our mission."

"You're whale hunters?" Usopp asked.

"No," Mr. 9 said, "But we need to take down this one in order to turn it into food for our town."

"No," Emmy stated and she shook her head for emphasis, "No. You are not hurting Laboon-san. He's already suffering enough."

"Laboon?" Luffy asked.

"That's the whale's name."

"Oh, I see," Luffy said, "And you like the whale?"

"I don't know yet," Emmy admitted, "But I like the doctor, who is treating him."

"Hmph. Like you guys can stop us," Mr. 9 sniffed. He and his partner got to their feet and lifted their bazookas, "We'll open an air vent in his stomach!"

"No! Don't!" Emmy gasped.

"Let's go, baby!" Mr. 9 shouted.

"Roger!" Miss Wednesday called back and they both readied their weapons.

_Thwack!_

Without warning, Luffy smacked both of their heads together before they could even think about pulling the trigger. The two partners slumped against each other and sank to the ground.

"Why...why'd you do that?" Mr. 9 whimpered.

"Cause I felt like it," Luffy said, "Zoro. Sanji. Tie them up. They're bad guys. I don't like them."

"Okay," Zoro sighed, "But then what? Do we take them with us or-?"

"We'll wait for Crocus-san to return," Emmy said, "He needs to know these two were trying to hurt Laboon-san."

"That's the doctor guy, right?" Luffy asked and then he grinned, "I kinda want to meet him too since you like him that much. Must be a good guy."

"He seems to know something about my powers!" Emmy said and she clapped her hands together, "And he'll teach me a trick to controlling them as soon as he comes back from treating Laboon-san! Oh! I also want to ask him what's going on with Laboon-san. He was in a lot of pain before I calmed him down."

The grin left Luffy's face and he frowned at his sister. "Did you feel it too?"

"Yes," Emmy admitted.

"Bastard," Luffy yelled, "I'm going to kick his ass and-"

"Make up your mind!" Zoro snapped, "First you instigated a fight with the whale, then you saved it from these two random people, and now you want to fight him again?"

"Besides, fighting it will only bring Emmy more pain," Nami huffed and crossed her arms ovxer her chest, "Idiot. Just wait until Crocos-san gets back and then we can hear about everything."

"Oy! Are none of you guys concerned that the ship is going to melt if we stay any longer?" Zoro demanded.

"That would take days, you idiot," Sanji said, "And we're only staying for a couple of hours. Calm down."

"Yes, please...Everyone calm down," Emmy breathed and she slipped her hand into Luffy's for comfort, "I can really feel everything right now...and it's a lot."

She winced at the annoyance coming from the swordsman, the fear coming from the sniper, the uneasiness coming from the navigator, the 'foolishness' from the cook, and most of all, the concern coming from one of the two partners. The woman, whoever she was, was worried sick about something and it was making Emmy nauseous. The only positive and soothing feeling was coming from her brother.

"That's right, everyone! Take a nap!" he ordered.

"That's not-" Zoro started to snap but then he saw how Emmy jerked when he spoke. He took in a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves.

"Emmy," he said slowly, "You need to either control your powers or put your headband back on."

"I know," Emmy sighed, "I'm trying."

"Shishishishishi, you are getting better though," Luffy said, "This many people for this long? It's a record!"

"That is true…" Emmy admitted and she grinned, "Progress is still progress."

"Yep!" Luffy said with a nod.

"Oy, if it gets too much, Emmy-chan, just let me know and I can knock this guy out," Sanji said with a glare to Mr. 9 and then his tune changed drastically when his eyes moved to the woman, "And I can give you a love massage, mellorine, to help you relax!"

Emmy gasped at the swell of flirtation that exuded from him and suddenly, her world turned pink. Her heart fluttered in her chest and her cheeks started to redden.

"Emmy? Emmy, are you okay?" Luffy asked, noticing how flustered his sister was suddenly getting, "Are you hot or something? Do you need some water?"

"I'm...I'm okay," Emmy said coyly as she lowered her eyes and pressed her hand against her chest, "I just...feel...strange...and…"

"And what?" Luffy asked.

Emmy was suddenly very much aware of how close his face was to hers. The flirtatious feeling grew from within her as soon as they locked eyes. His eyes, which were usually rounded with excitement, were now faintly narrowed and bore into hers with so much focus that she felt like he was staring right into her heart.

Her hand reached out of it's own volition and she cupped his cheek.

"Luffy?" she said. Her voice was lower and breathier than usual and it sounded foreign to her own ears.

"Idiot!" Zoro shouted out from the sidelines and swung his sword towards the cook, who blocked it smoothly with his leg.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" the cook snapped.

"What the hell do you think _you're_ doing?! Control yourself around Emmy, damn it!"

"What? Oh! Shit…"

The pink around her instantly vanished but Emmy could still feel a bit of it remaining within her. Her face turned bright red and she jerked her hand away from Luffy. They didn't take their eyes off of each other, though, as Emmy's flicked back and forth, trying to find the answer on his face. Luffy, in turn, was grinning blankly back at her. _What happened?! What did I just do?!_

"What was that?" Luffy asked as he put his own hand over his chest, "My heart felt like it was bouncing all over the place. Was that a new power?"

"I…don't know…" Emmy breathed. _Did I make Luffy feel that way?_

"Look what you did," Zoro growled at the cook.

"Shut it. I can fix it," the cook muttered under his breath and then he raised his hand, "Sorry! That was me! I was feeling that way. It was probably too much for Emmy-chan's delicate heart and she projected it onto you too, Luffy."

"Oh, so it was Sanji," Luffy said and then he frowned, "Don't do that around Emmy. It made me feel all...weird. It was weird for you too right, Emmy?"

"Yes…" Emmy whispered, her heart still beating hard against her chest, "Very weird."

"Understood," Sanji said with an apologetic smile, "Won't happen again."

Emmy was completely thrown. She had thought some of that flirtatious feeling was coming from her but maybe it was just residual leftovers from the cook. After all, he did have an overpowering amount of that emotion. _So...I don't feel that way about Luffy. It was all...Sanji?_

"Good. You're all still here."

The stern, gruff voice of Crocus snapped Emmy out of her confusion. She, along with everyone else on deck, turned to look at the old doctor, who was standing on the platform above the door, where Luffy, Mr. 9, and Miss Wednesday had originally burst out of. He dove back into the water and swam towards his home. He climbed back up to his island-ship and then his eyes narrowed when he saw the tied up partners on the Going Merry. "And you managed to get these two idiots too. Good. Take them away. They've been bothering me for weeks."

"You've been interfering with us just as much!" Mr. 9 snapped, which earned him a glare from the swordsman.

"Feel Feel...Repose," Emmy said and directed her palms out at Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday.

_Zzzzzzzzzzzz!_

"Come on," Crocus sighed and waved his hand over to the conscious ones, unfazed by Emmy's power, "Come aboard and I'll tell you everything."

"Thanks, old man!" Luffy shouted.

They anchored the Going Merry and came aboard Crocus' island-ship. The first thing that caught Luffy's eye was the tall palm tree that grew right next to the old man's lawn chair. It stretched up over three stories high. Luffy had to put his hand on his hat to prevent it from falling off his head when he tilted up to see the palm leaves. "Woo, that's tall. I'm going to climb it!" he announced.

"Be careful," Emmy warned as she walked over to Crocus, who was sitting comfortably in his chair. She smoothed out her apron and she put her headband back on her head. She stilled for just a second and then she let out a breath of relief. Whatever treatment Crocus had given the whale had worked, which reminded her of what she'd wanted to ask the doctor, "Crocus-san...What is going on with Laboon-san?"

"Laboon is an Island Whale. It's the world's largest whale which live only in the West Blue," Crocus said as he stared out towards the painted blue sky, "He keeps hitting his head on the Red Line and howling towards Reverse Mountain because he's a whale with a human heart. It's no wonder you could feel his suffering."

"A whale with a human heart?" Nami asked as she joined Emmy's side to hear the whale's tale.

"Ah. He's been devotedly waiting for a certain pirate group for 50 long years," Crocus said.

"Pirate group?" Luffy shouted up from the tree top as he bent his neck back so that his head could stretch down to ground level.

"AHHH! If you want to listen just come down. Don't do that! You look freaky!" Usopp shrieked as he smacked Luffy's head. It started to sway like a pendulum and Usopp laughed mischievously, "Oy! Zoro. Heads up!"

"What?" the swordsman asked. He turned just in time to see Usopp serve Luffy's head over to him. He grinned, catching onto the sniper's game, and swiftly batted the captain's head back around the tree and towards the sniper in a makeshift game of tetherball.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Stop it!" Luffy whined as suddenly Sanji was a participant too.

"Ignore them," Nami huffed and nodded at the old doctor, "Continue."

Crocus sat back in his seat and folded his hands over his stomach. "One day, while I was on duty as the lighthouse keeper, some good-natured pirates came down Reverse Mountain and entered the Grand Line. A small whale came in as well, as if it had followed the pirates. That whale was Laboon."

"All the way from the West Blue?" Emmy gasped and Crocus nodded.

"The pirates had been traveling with Laboon this whole time but they had wanted to leave Laboon in the West Blue since the Grand Line is extremely dangerous. Laboon followed them without them knowing," Crocus grunted, "Island Whales usually travel together as a group but I suspect Laboon felt that he was a member of that pirate group. Since their ship had broken down, they stayed at the cape for months while they repaired it so we all became good friends."

"So they entrusted Laboon-san to you while they went into the Grand Line?" Emmy asked quietly, "As a way to protect Laboon-san from the Grand Line?"

"Ah," Crocus nodded, "They asked me to take care of him for 2-3 years. They would go around the world and then come back to get Laboon. They promised him they would come back for him."

"So they're coming back," Nami huffed, "Geez. Then Laboon shouldn't push himself so hard if they-"

"That was over 50 years ago," Crocus said and the two girls stiffened.

"50...years?!" Nami gasped.

Emmy lifted her chin and she stared straight up as if she could see Laboon's heart through his stomach. Then she put her hand to her chest and gripped her heart. "50 years of loneliness…," she murmured.

"So that's why he keeps hitting his head," Nami said, "He's trying to break through it to get to his nakama."

"That pirate group…" Crocus sighed and he looked over at Emmy, "One of its members ate the Feel Feel Fruit too."

Emmy's head snapped down and even the boys paused their game to look over at them with Luffy's upside down head clutched in the palms of the swordsman. "And...he controlled his powers by...doing something called...bonding?" Emmy asked tentatively.

Crocus nodded. "Yes. _She_ called it her bonds. From what I gathered from our conversations, it was a strong connection she shared with the captain and a handful of her nakamas. It seemed once she bonded with them, they were able to help her control her powers in some way."

"Bonds…" Emmy said as she looked over at her nakama, "Should I...try it?"

"Of course!" Luffy shouted as he quickly let go of the palm tree and came crashing down on top of the swordsman.

"GAH! Luffy!" Zoro growled. He shoved the captain off of him and got up to his knees. He then redirected his anger at Emmy, "And yes. Definitely try it. Anything to avoid all that crying and unnecessary crap you pulled today."

"Eh?" Emmy gasped as Sanji jumped into her defense.

"She couldn't help herself and Emmy-chan is doing the best she can! You know that as much as I do, you shitty swordsman!" he seethed.

"I don't care," Zoro said, "She's supposed to be the first mate and the one we rely on when the captain's not around. If she can't even handle being inside a whale, how the hell are we supposed to rely on her in the future?"

"How often do you think we're going to end up inside a whale?!" Nami couldn't help but ask.

"You-" Sanji snarled.

"Zoro's right," Emmy admitted and she smiled apologetically at the oldest nakama, "I'm not a very good first mate, am I? All I could do was cry when we came down Reverse Mountain. I couldn't even try and help steer the ship around Laboon-san. I didn't really take charge when we came in here and...I ended up causing more trouble than necessary….Zoro...if you want...you can be first ma-"

"No."

They all turned to the captain, who stood in a wide stance with his arms folded across his chest.

"No," he repeated again and his eyes bore into Zoro's, "Emmy is the first mate."

Zoro held the captain's glare for a long time before he finally relaxed his shoulders and he let out a long exhale. "I never said to step down, Emmy," the swordsman growled but his tone was a lot softer than before, "I'm just saying you need to do everything you can to control your powers."

"Then I should try this bonding thing…" she said and she looked over at Crocus, "Do you know how that works?"

Crocus shook his head. "I'm sorry. Those bonds were already established before I met them."

"Okay," Emmy said and moved her hands up to her head.

"Wait," Luffy called out and he walked over to her. He knelt right in front of her so they were eye to eye, "Whatever this bonding thing is...try it with me first."

Emmy took in a deep breath and she nodded. "Okay."

Luffy grinned. "Okay."

She moved her headband down to the grass, closed her eyes, and she folded her hands over her lap. _I want to bond with Luffy...I want to bond with him._

They stayed that way for a good long time with Emmy repeating it in her mind but nothing was happening. She opened her eyes and hung her in head in disappointment. "It's not working...I don't know how to do this…"

"How do you usually figure out a new power?" Sanji asked.

"I think about what I want to do with it and...it happens," Emmy said.

"Well, what were you thinking?"

"That I wanted to bond with Luffy…"

Nami rubbed her chin. "Maybe you have to think of it in another way."

"Another way?" Emmy asked.

"I mean, you already have a bond with Luffy, right? Just not in terms of your power so what are you trying to establish now?"

Emmy blinked for a few moments and then looked over at Luffy, who was grinning at her. "It's okay, Emmy, if you can't do it. You can just leave it to me!"

Emmy bit her lip. "No," she said, feeling very frustrated with her inadequacies, "No, it's not. I want to be able to control my powers. I want to be more reliable. I want you all to leave it to _me_ for once. I want-"

She stopped short and her hands moved towards the rubber boy out of their own accord. She placed her palms on each side of his face. "Feel Feel," she murmured as she sat up on her knees and leaned towards him, "Partnership."

She brought her lips to Luffy's forehead and she kissed him right below his treasured hat. A red heart ballooned out from where her skin met his until it covered the both of them, each half of the heart enveloping one person. Then it popped and dissipated into the air, leaving the two people in a faint glow which faded at a much slower pace than the appearance of the heart.

She opened her eyes slowly and they met the shining, expectant gaze of the rubber boy's. His cheeks felt warm under her hands and then they stretched when his grin appeared. Once again, Emmy's heart pounded in her chest and this time she knew, without a doubt, that this flirtatious feeling was coming from her since the cook was feeling nothing of the sort. _I'm...attracted to Luffy…?_

All the spectators, including the old doctor, leaned in expectantly towards the siblings. "Well?!"

The sudden growth of anticipation came rushing at her and Emmy's body instinctively stiffened to prepare for the incoming flood. Suddenly, a wall of joy came bursting out of Luffy and set itself in front of her. The anticipation shot through the wall but only hit with half as much feeling she expected to receive. She gasped and then looked at her brother...Her bond.

"It...It worked!" she said, "The bond...it worked! You...your feelings...somehow...managed to block out some of the things I'm feeling from everyone else!"

"Really?!" Luffy shouted excitedly, "Great! Then bond more. Bond more! Zoro!"

"Ah," Zoro said as he walked steadily over and set himself into a seiza position in front of Emmy, "Alright. Bond with me."

One by one, the pirates came and sat in front of Emmy. One by one, she kissed each of them on the forehead. In the back of her mind, she couldn't help but notice that none of it left her heart pounding as her interaction with Luffy but she couldn't dwell on it. Thinking about it only made everything that much more confusing.

When she was done, she was left with a wall of joy, a wall of pride, a wall of cautiousness, a wall of reaction, and a wall of passion that she couldn't see but could feel standing strong around her.

"Okay,' Emmy said as she pulled her hands away from Sanji's beaming face and then sat back down on the grass, "Now...to see how well this works."

_Thwack!_

"OOOOWWW!" Sanji howled in pain as Luffy's knuckles ground into the top of his skull.

The captain grinned at Emmy. "Did you feel that?"

"Yes," Emmy said wondrously and her hand went to the top of her own head, "But...it was only a slight pressure. Like...you had just tapped my head instead of punching it."

"Then it worked!" Luffy announced.

_Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!_

Suddenly, Luffy, Sanji, and Zoro were locked in a three way brawl.

"What the hell was that for, Luffy?!" Sanji snarled at Luffy with Zoro's katana blocking his leg from making contact with Luffy's head.

"Oy! Zoro! You need to apologize to Emmy for making her feel bad!" Luffy demanded at the swordsman with his fist a few inches past Zoro's head. He had missed it by a hair.

"Finally! I don't have to hold back anymore with the shitty cook!" Zoro growled, with his eyes glaring at the cook's profile, "And stay out of this, Luffy! I didn't say anything wrong."

Emmy smoothed out her apron and got to her feet while Nami blew her breath over knuckles and Usopp let out a long sigh.

_Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!_

Simultaneously, the captain, the cook, and the swordsman all earned a lump on their heads from the first mate, the navigator, and the sniper respectively. The navigator made the extra effort and she reached over to pull Luffy by his stretchy cheeks.

"You," she hissed, "Don't you get involved in whatever spat those two idiots already have. And you!"

Nami glared at Emmy and pointed a finger at her. "Put your headband back. Even if you can handle it right now, it's better not to overexert yourself. You've used your powers enough for one day."

"Yes, Nami," Emmy said obediently and placed her headband back on her head

"I'm the navigator. It's my job to direct these idiots," Nami said, mostly to herself, and then she smiled at the old doctor, "Now that you've told us everything, how about you get give us the directions out of here?"


	36. I am Asking You To Wait For Me

Loneliness was both new and familiar to Emmy. She had thought it was a common, natural feeling like how air felt in her lungs when she breathed and how her heart felt against her chest with every steady beat.

She didn't realize loneliness could go away. She didn't know what to call it until the time Luffy and Gramps went off into the mountains for a week of training.

She had gotten her chores done at a much slower pace. She kept looking out the window and found any excuse to do her chores on the front stoop so that she could be the first person to spot their return. It did not go unnoticed by the mountain bandits but they didn't say anything to her so she wasn't even aware of her actions.

When she finally spotted a straw hat making its way through the trees, she had bursted into tears, which almost caused Garp and Luffy to destroy the house and attack the innocent bandits that had looked after her while they were away.

"Dadan!" Garp roared, "What did you do?!"

"What? What? What happened?!" Luffy had demanded when he got to her. She had immediately ran into his arms and buried her face in his chest. The front of both their shirts were bunched in each of her hands out of pure fear that they would slip away and disappear for good. "Why are you crying?! Who hurt you? I'll beat them up!"

"Ahhhh! It wasn't us," Dadan had shrieked, "She's crying because of you two!"

"Eh? Because of me?!" Garp had asked, stumbling back as if Dadan had shot him in the chest, point blank.

"Ah! It's because of me?!" Luffy had exclaimed in horror.

Next to Dadan, Magra had flashed a grin at the girl. "Emmy-chan is just happy you two have returned. Isn't that right, Emmy-chan?"

Emmy had sniffled and she could only nod against Luffy's chest. She couldn't bring herself to just move even an inch away from either of them.

"Gahahaha," Garp had laughed, "Is that the case? Sorry, Emmy, I didn't realize you wanted to come with us. The woods up there are tough, you know."

Emmy had heard Luffy's grin in his voice as he patted her on the head, "Shishishishi. Sorry, Emmy. Must've been really boring and lonely without me here, huh?"

That took Emmy by surprise and she had lifted her head to blink her watery blue eyes up at her brother. "L...Lonely?"

Emmy learned two things that day. The first was that the feeling she had always had in the pit of her heart was called loneliness. The second was that it was so much worse when it was directed at specific people rather than just general company.

She sighed and kept her eyes on the whale as the Going Merry sailed out of the metal double doors that Crocus had built to help him gain access to all of Laboon's internal organs and self-inflicted injuries. They reached the open waters and still Emmy's gaze never left Laboon.

"It's the sky! Real sky!" Luffy cheered, despite having spent the least amount of time within the whale out of everyone present.

"Emmy, you okay?" Usopp asked, noticing how she was the only one facing the stern of the ship.

"Yeah," Emmy said quietly, "I was just thinking…"

"About what?"

"How lonely I'd feel if I had to wait for you all for 50 years."

Usopp sighed and he followed her gaze towards the whale. "Yeah...50 years," he sighed, "Those pirates sure are making him wait a long time…"

"Idiot! This is the Grand Line!" Sanji pointed out, "They're probably dead. No matter how long he waits, they won't come back."

"Yeah, it's true that 50 years ago, the Grand Line was an uncharted sea more terrible and chaotic than it is now," Nami added.

Usopp planted his hands on his hips and he glared at the navigator and cook. "Why are you talking like there's no hope? You don't know what happened. They could come back!"

"For starters," Sanji said as he exhaled a stream of smoke from his nostrils and then pointed his cigarette at Emmy, "If Emmy-chan ate the Feel Feel Fruit, that could only mean that the one in the pirate group had died."

"How could you say that? It's a beautiful story! The whale has been waiting so long for his nakama? There's still hope!" Usopp protested and turned to the only other person he thought was in his corner. "Tell them, pops!"

Crocus, who had been sailing behind them from his "island", pressed his lips into a thin line and he looked grimly back at the pirates. "Yeah...but reality is cruel. I confirmed it from a reliable source that the pirate group...they ran away from the Grand Line."

Emmy sucked in a breath and she turned to look at the doctor. "Are...are they not coming back?" she asked, "Did they really leave without him?"

"I'm sorry, Little Lady," Sanji said as he placed a hand on her head, "Lots of weak minded pirates flee the Grand Line to save their own asses. These jerks just happened to be extra shitty and did it while breaking their promise."

"They abandoned the whale? When he's been waiting for 50 years?" Usopp asked incredulously.

"Then why haven't you told him then?!" Nami demanded at Crocus, "The whale can understand what people say, right?!"

"I did tell him. I told him everything," Crocus said and he released a breath of utter defeat, "It's since then that he started howling at Reverse Mountain and slamming his body against the Red Line. It's as if he's insisting that they'll come back from the other side of that wall any time now. He's refusing to accept my words."

"I...I don't think I can accept them either," Emmy stated.

The pirates and Crocus turned to look at her. The first mate's eyes were back on the whale and they ran over every single scratch and scar along Laboon's head. "A pirate group with an empath on board...They wouldn't just run away. _I_ would never run away if I knew my nakama was waiting for me."

"But the old doctor already said he heard it from a reliable source!" Nami protested.

"Nothing is reliable on the Grand Line except for what you see with your own two eyes," Emmy insisted. Her raised voice and stern tone made the crew naturally snap to attention. She turned to her brother. "Luffy. I want to talk to Laboon-san."

"Shishishi. Okay," Luffy grinned as he wound his arms around her waist and then grabbed onto the top of the lighthouse that stood just below Reverse Mountain. Before anyone could react, the rubber boy swung him and his sister over to the base of the lighthouse.

She walked to the very edge of the cliff and cupped her hands over her mouth. "LABOON-SAN! Please! Leave it to me! I'll find them for you! I'll bring your nakama back!"

The whale, who was fixated on the rushing canal up until then, suddenly turned it's head. Then Laboon lowered his head so that the bottom of it was resting on the waters and his eyes met Emmy's.

"What?! Emmy! You can't just say something like that!" Nami shouted.

Sanji nodded fervently in agreement next to the navigator as they leaned over the railing. "Emmy-chan, you're going to get his hopes up and-"

"Laboon-san!" Emmy said, ignoring the disapproval from her own nakama, "Your nakama...one of them...shares the same power as I do now. Can't you sense it?"

The whale swam moved right up to the edge of the water to get a better look at her. Then his eyes swelled with tears as his heart filled up with nostalgia, which made Emmy smile. _Good...he did recognize it..._

"That makes us connected in some way so...please...wait for us!" Emmy cried out, "I believe some of your nakama are still somewhere out there on the Grand Line. I'll find what's left of them and bring them here, okay? So just wait for us!"

"Shishishi. That's right," Luffy yelled, "After going around the Grand Line, we'll come back to see you again and if we don't find anyone, you're welcome to fight me and try to beat an apology out of me! I have to warn you though, I'm pretty strong. So just wait for us!"

"Eh? How did Luffy turn this into a battle challenge?" Usopp whispered to Nami, who only shrugged.

"Let those two idiots clean up their own mess," Nami said but she had a smile on her face while she talked.

The whale's attention moved between the grinning boy in the straw hat and the girl in the apron. Then he raised his head once more and let out a ground shaking bellow. It made the Going Merry and Crocus' island-ship swish around on the water and Emmy's stance relax.

"Looks like we have a deal," Emmy said and she bowed at her waist to the whale, "Thank you, Laboon-san. Please. Leave it to me."

"Yosh! As a symbol of our agreement," Luffy shouted as he pulled himself back onto his ship, "I'm going to mark your head. Emmy! Where did you put the paints?"

Without the help of the sniper, although Usopp did offer some advice that did not get taken, Luffy painted his jolly roger right over Laboon's scarred head. The rest of the guys busied themselves with reattaching Merry's figurehead and patching up some loose floorboards that had sprung free during their crash landing at the summit of Reverse Mountain.

The navigator came over to the lighthouse to join Emmy and Crocus. The old doctor and Luffy's first mate watched the captain work with smiles on their faces while the navigator tried to pinpoint their next location.

"Little girl," Crocus said quietly, "Do you really believe that his nakama are still out there?"

"Even if most of them died," Emmy replied, "There has to be someone left. I know if our crew made such a big promise, I would make sure that someone was kept alive just so they could make it back to Laboon. Even if that means leaving the Grand Line temporarily."

"That's a big 'if''," Crocus grunted, "And say you do find someone, they'll be as old as I am. I doubt they'd be able to survive the voyage back."

"Don't sell yourself short, Crocus-san," Emmy smiled, "You still have some fight in you. I can feel it."

Crocus let loose a laugh from the belly. "I very much doubt that," he said.

"You're fighting now to protect Laboon," Emmy pointed out, "You managed to build water channels and structures within him to keep him alive. That's no easy feat."

"True," Crocus admitted and then he glanced over at the girl, "If you do find someone from the Rumbar Pirates, make sure they know they not only owe Laboon an apology but me as well. They owe me big."

"I will," Emmy said, "So the pirate group is the Rumbar Pirates…"

Crocus nodded. "Their mark is a skull with bull horns on it and they were known for their singing."

Emmy couldn't help but smile at that fact. "Singing pirates…Luffy would definitely want to meet them then."

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Nami's scream pierced through the air. She was sitting cross legged near the lighthouse with her map and compass placed at her feet. Her nakama hurriedly gathered around her to see what had startled the navigator. She had one hand on her face and the other pointing accusingly at the compass. "The...The compass is broken! It doesn't point in any direction!"

The pirates leaned in for a closer look and indeed the compass needle was spinning around and around with no intention of slowing down or stopping.

From his spot outside of the group, Crocus shook his head disappointingly at the group. "For heaven's sake! Looks like you guys came here with no knowledge. Did you come here just to die?"

"Eh?" the group all looked over at the old doctor.

"Common sense is useless in this sea. It's not that the compass is broken. It's that the islands in the Grand Line contain lots of magnetic minerals. Because of that, they are causing a lot of abnormality along the Grand LIne. Furthermore, the currents and winds are also unpredictable."

Nami gave an embarrassed chuckle and she scratched the back of the head. "That is pretty scary."

Her casual attitude earned her a fearful look from the sniper. "Oy! Are we going to be okay?!"

"You need a Log Pose to travel around the Grand Line," Crocus said, "It's a special compass that can record magnetism."

"Is it a strange looking compass?" Luffy asked.

"Yeah, it's shape is unusual," Crocus admitted.

Luffy reached into his pocket and pulled out a wooden armband with a glass sphere resting at the top of it. The captain casually waved it in front of Crocus' face. "Is it this?"

"Yep," Crocus said, "Without the Log Pose, it's impossible to travel around the Grand Line."

"I see," Nami murmured and then swiftly turned on her heels, "Luffy?"

"Yeah?"

_Thwack!_

The navigator sent a harsh punch right across his face. "How come you have one?! Explain!"

"Ow!" Luffy whined as he snapped his head back to its original position, "I found this when I was looking for the paint. Those two weirdos must've dropped it."

"Weirdos?" Emmy asked and then she sucked in a sharp breath, "Oh! Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday! Are they not on the ship?!"

"Yeah," Zoro said with a casual wave of his hand, "They woke up, got out of their binds, and disappeared. Not important."

"Are you sure?" Emmy asked with a frown, "They don't seem to be like the type to let things go that easily. Maybe one of us should stand guard on the Going Merry, just in case they try anything funny?"

Zoro grunted out a small smile and he nodded at Emmy. "Now you're starting to sound like a first mate."

Emmy clasped her hands in front of her and her eyes glistened with excitement. "Really?!" she asked.

"Ah," Zoro said and then leapt back onto the deck of the ship.

Nami took the Log Pose from Luffy's hand and brought up to her eyes. "So this...is the Log Pose...It has a compass needle but no dial face," she said to no one in particular.

"The magnetism of islands in the Grand LIne follow a certain rule," Crocus explained, "That is, by recording the magnetism of two islands pulling against each other you can find the route of the next island. The magnetism record of the Log Pose is the only thing you can count on. No matter what island you start on, the magnetism of each island will pull at each other to form a route. The name of the island at the end of every route is Raftel, the last point of the Grand Line. The only one in history who confirmed that island is the King of Pirates."

"Raftel," Emmy murmured and she smiled at her brother, who was looking just as excited by the mention of the King of Pirates.

"Log Pose, huh? We have to take good care of this," Nami said with the Log Pose still held up to her face.

"YES! The King of Pirates!" Luffy roared at the same time. He punched the air with too much zealous and his fist smashed right through the glass orb.

His nakama's jaws dropped and their eyes bugged out. "Wasn't...that something really important?!" Usopp shrieked.

"LUFFY! YOU IDIOT!" Nami yelled. She landed another punch on the captain, but this time it was a strong uppercut. The rubber boy sailed high into the air and over into the water.

"Ah! Luffy!" Emmy gasped as Sanji hurriedly ran to the edge of the water.

"Don't worry, Emmy-chan. I got him!" he said and dove after the captain.

It took the cook longer than expected to emerge back to the surface with the rubber boy and it didn't take long for Emmy to realize what the delay was. In his other arm, he held a panting Miss Wednesday. In her own hand, she clutched the collar of her partner. Sanji pulled Luffy and Miss Wednesday to land and disgruntledly helped Mr. 9 but only because Miss Wednesday asked him to.

"Luffy, are you okay?" Emmy asked while next to her, Sanji escorted Miss Wednesday towards the lighthouse.

"Nami is scary," Luffy whined, "It's not like I meant to break it."

"Don't worry," Emmy said and helped him to his feet, "Crocus-san has given us his to use."

"Really?" Luffy exclaimed and then he flashed a grin at the old doctor, "Shishishi. Thank you, old man!"

"Oy!"

The pirates stopped and turned to look at Mr. 9, who was on his knees, "I have a favor to ask of you."

"A favor?" Luffy repeated while Miss Wednesday went to her partner's side and matched his grovelling position.

"Yes," she said, "We need a ride to an island called Whiskey Peak."

"Okay!" Sanji sang, "We'll gladly-"

"Not your call!" Usopp interjected and gave Sanji a hard smack along the back of the head.

"Whiskey Peak?" Luffy said and scratched his chin, "What's that?"

"That's the island where we live," Mr. 9 explained.

"What happened to your own ship?" Nami asked.

"It's busted," Miss Wednesday said.

Emmy frowned and tilted her head to study the pair. "I'm sorry," she said, "But don't you think you're asking too much of us, especially after you tried to kill Laboon-san? We don't even know who you are."

"I'm a king," Mr. 9 said.

Wordlessly, Nami reached over and grabbed him by the cheek. "You're not in the position to lie to us either," she advised under her breath and then nodded over at Emmy, "That one over there can tell if you're lying...and that one…"

Nami then nodded at the swordsman, who was leaning over the Going Merry with his hand already on a katana, "Well...you don't want to know what that one does to liars."

"We...We can't say," Miss Wednesday claimed and beads of sweat started to form around her face, "It's not our intention to be secretive but the motto of our company is 'mystery' and...we just can't tell you anything about us. We're placing confidence in your character and begging you for help. We'll return the favor, we promise."

"Don't trust them!" Crocus immediately advised, "They are dishonest people and will betray you as soon as you turn their backs on them."

Emmy's attention zeroed in on the girl. There was something about her that just didn't sit right with the first mate. It was the way she knelt. Even though she was clearly begging for help, there was a stately and regal presence around the mystery woman. It made Emmy stand up a little straighter and put her own guard up.

"Luffy...I don't think we should-" she started to say.

"Okay, you can come with us," Luffy said at the same time, "Whiskey Peak, right? Yeah, we can go there."

Everyone, including Luffy's own sister, gaped at the captain. "Eh?!"

"Oy, are you serious?" Usopp asked, "We're troubling ourselves to take these shadowy people?"

"I don't trust them, Luffy," Emmy added and shot him a worried look.

"What's the problem? Don't worry about small things," Luffy shrugged and looked over at the navigator, "We can head off to Whiskey Peak, right?"

"Technically, you could" Crocus answered on Nami's behalf, "But you can only choose the route here, the starting point. After that, you'll have to go towards whatever magnetism the Log Pose has stored."

"That's fine," Luffy grinned, "If we don't like it, then we can go around one more time."

"But Luffy-" Emmy started to protest but Luffy cut her off by putting his hands behind his head and walking towards the ship. It was the end of the discussion and the captain would hear no more of it.

"Alright, now that we've made a promise with the whale. Let's get ready to set sail!" he announced.

"Who...who are you?" Miss Wednesday asked.

Luffy glanced over his shoulder at her and he smiled. "I'm going to become the next King of Pirates."

Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday shared a smirk and they hid a chuckle behind their hands.

_Pfft! Pfft!_

A shallow cut formed on their left cheek and they turned to see the first mate with fanned out cards in her hands. Her blue eyes were unblinking as she stared solemnly at them over the top of her cards. She held their gaze until they started to sweat. Then she swiftly brought the cards back together into a neat deck and returned to the ship. The captain might be okay with them being on board but the first mate was definitely not.


	37. I am On Uncharted Waters.

"Luffy, look! Did I do it? Did I make a snow angel?" Emmy asked excitedly and she got up to her feet. She took four careful steps out of the snow as not to damage the imprint she had just left on the deck. She slowly turned to look at her creation as her breath puffed into the cold air.

The group was on their way to Whiskey Peak with their two prisoners, as the first mate insisted on calling them. They had sailed for just a little over a day before experiencing the notoriously fickle Grand Line weather. Just from this morning, they had already went through a hailstorm and a thunder storm. Then, the navigator had gotten them away from a hurricane in the nick of time and now Emmy was playing with Luffy and Usopp as snow piled on the main deck.

She had a heavy white cloak tied around her shoulders while she wore a matching beanie that hung over her headband and her ears. She had offered some winter garments for the boys but they didn't seem to mind the cold one bit. Living on Mt. Colubo, there were times when the weather was cold enough for them to get snow but this was the most snow Emmy had ever experienced. She was having fun and so was her brother.

Zoro was napping near the port side of the ship with a blanket haphazardly thrown over him. He had fallen asleep before the snow hit so a mound of it was beginning to grow over his torso. Sanji was on the upper decks, shoveling snow, while Nami was in the galley, keeping an eye on Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday. They were tied together and Emmy was adamant about keeping them asleep most of the time and only waking them up for meals.

It did not go unnoticed by the crew how differently she interacted with these two new people compared to Johnny and Yosaku. She kept a very wide berth from Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday and did not speak a word to them at all.

"Shishishi. Yep!" Luffy grinned at his sister and then lightly patted the head of a snowman he had just finished building, "Now look at what I did! This is the man that fell from the sky, Mr. Snow Barrel!"

Luffy's artwork had broom sticks for arms, a barrel on its head, two coals for eyes, and a watermelon slice for a smile. Emmy bowed to it. "How do you do, Mr. Snow Barrel?"

"Hmph," Usopp scoffed from his side of the deck, "That's such a crude snowman."

"What?!" Luffy exclaimed as Usopp stepped away from his own masterpiece and spread his arms out to present it.

"Look at my soulful artwork, the Snow Queen!" Usopp announced proudly.

"Whoa," Emmy breathed as she stepped towards the snow sculpture. It was of a woman sitting daintily on top of a snow throne. The sniper was able to make impressions in the snow that detailed the woman's hair, fabric of her winter coat, and even her facial features just by using his bare hands, "Usopp...It looks…"

"Amazing, right?" Usopp grinned.

"It looks like Kaya-sama," Emmy finished.

"WHAT?!" Usopp shrieked and stumbled away from his own work, as if Kaya had magically taken his snow woman's place. Unfortunately, he didn't see where was going and crashed through Luffy's creation.

"AHHHH! Mr. Snow Barrel!" Luffy mourned as the a broken watermelon slice landed by his feet. Then his grief backtracked into anger and he glared at the sniper, "Take this! Snow Barrel Punch!'

He took the broom stick that once was Mr. Snow Barrel's left arm and swung it hard across the Snow Queen's face, decapitating her instantly.

"AH! Kaya-sama!" Emmy cried.

"AH! KAYA! Wait no...it's a Snow Queen, Emmy, Snow Queen!" Usopp corrected. Then he returned the rubber boy's angered gaze while he crouched down and began to gather snow around him, "How dare you?! Take this!"

_Thwack!_

The sniper's aim was true and it hit the rubber boy right between the eyes, snapping his head back and making his hat fall onto the snow.

"Oh yeah?!" Luffy huffed as he scooped up his hat with one hand and a fistful of snow with the other. Unfortunately, the rubber boy did not compress his snowball at all and the bits of snow flurried around the sniper's face and onto the floor.

"Bwahahahahaha. You think you can win against me, Captain Usopp?!" Usopp taunted.

Steam came out of Luffy's reddened ears and he ran around the deck, rolling up the snow until he had a ball as tall as Emmy. He lifted it up over his head. "Try dodging this!" he roared.

"EEK!" Usopp shrieked and he ducked behind an amused Emmy.

"Emmy! Move!" Luffy ordered.

Emmy nodded and tried to step to the side but found that Usopp slid right into place as soon as she did. She took a step to the other side and the sniper mimicked her movement again.

"FINE! You both get it!" Luffy shouted.

"EH?!" Emmy and Usopp gasped just as Luffy hurled the giant chunk of snow at them. Emmy shielded her head with her arms and she braced for impact.

_Thwack!_

The snow broke into pieces right in front of Emmy and she lowered her hands to see Sanji, standing in front of her with his shovel pointed straight out. His lips frowned over the cigarette perched in between them. "Idiot! Don't drag the little lady into your fight!"

"Gah! Why is it so cold?!" Zoro yawned as he stretched his arms over his head. His eyes opened and went to the pile of snow sitting on top of him, "EH?! Snow? Why the hell is there so much here?!"

Then he turned his attention to the other people on the deck and his eyes rested on the shovel in Sanji's hands. "Why you…" Zoro seethed as he shot up to his feet and stormed over to the cook, "You piled this on me, didn't you? You wanted me to freeze to death!"

"What?! How are you going to blame me for something Mother Nature did?!" Sanji snapped. His attention was no longer on his captain, who was not done with his own battle.

_Thwack!_

A compact snowball hit the sniper right on the cheek, who proceeded to retaliate with his own snowball while keeping a perplexed first mate in front of him like a shield.

"Please don't fight," Emmy said but it fell on deaf ears for both parties, "Let's all enjoy the snow and-"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Nami's scream seemed to do the trick and all the men held a temporary truce with each other as they looked over towards the galley. The door to the kitchen promptly opened and the navigator rushed out. "We need to turn this ship around!"

"Why? Did you accidentally leave something with Crocus-san?" Emmy asked.

"No! I don't know how but the ship has turned around and is going in the opposite direction," Nami exclaimed.

"How do you not know what happened?" Emmy asked with genuine curiosity, "Aren't you the navigator?"

"I'm doing my best!" Nami snapped, "But it's like Crocus said. The wind, the current, everything here is highly unpredictable. I looked away from the Log Pose for just a second and- WAIT! Why am I explaining this to you? It's not like you could do a better job!"

"What?!" Emmy exclaimed, "I have every right to know!"

"Whatever," Nami huffed and pointed down at the group, "Luffy, Emmy! Brace the yard! Receive the wind from the starboard! Usopp, take care of the lateen sails. Sanji-kun, take the helm! Turn the ship 180 degrees to the left!"

"Wait!" Usopp cried out and looked up to the sky, "The wind has changed!"

"No way!" Nami shouted just as a warm breeze blew across the deck and the clouds drifted away to reveal a beaming sun.

"Oh, that's nice," Zoro yawned and sat back down against the railing, "Since we're out of the snow, I guess I can go back to sleep now."

"WAIT! WHAT?! We're trying to get to Whiskey Peak, not out of the snow!" Usopp seethed but the swordsman had already fell back to sleep.

"OOH! Emmy! I think I just saw a dolphin!" Luffy cried out suddenly from the bow of the ship.

"Really? Where?" Emmy gasped as she ran towards her brother to get a look herself.

"You two! Focus!" Nami bellowed and was about to say more when a heavy fog appeared around them, "What...What the hell is with this sea?!"

"Nami-san!" Sanji yelled from somewhere in the mist, "I see an iceberg! We're going to crash if we don't turn the ship!"

"Thunderstorm! Up ahead!" Usopp shouted from the opposite side of the cook.

"Where's the dolphin?!" Luffy cried.

"Luffy, we should be helping..." Emmy urged.

For the first time in a long time, the navigator prayed to a higher power. She asked the heavens for two things. The first was for whoever was up there to perform a miracle and lead them safely out of this demonic weather and the second was to give her the patience not to kill everyone on board. The heavens must've been pretty available that day because both wishes were granted, but only slightly.

By the time Going Merry reached a part of the sea that was calm, sunny, and with a current that was heading in the right direction, the navigator, the sniper, the first mate, and the cook were splayed out on the snowless main deck, thoroughly exhausted and drenched from either rain or melted snow. They had lost track by that point. Only the captain was sitting happily on top of the figurehead with a relaxed grin on his face while the swordsman woke up from his nap.

"Ahh...That felt good," Zoro sighed contently and then got up to his feet. He only took a few steps before his foot accidentally nudged right up against Emmy's arm. He looked down to see her sprawled position along with the others and he clucked his tongue, "Oy...No matter how nice the weather is, you guys shouldn't be so lazy. We'd better be on the right track."

Instantly, Emmy's hand reached over and grabbed Zoro by the ankle. "Get him please," she said while holding him in place.

"OY, Emmy! What are you-" Zoro demanded just as the sniper, the navigator, and the cook were surrounded him with their fists high in the air.

_Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!_

His head formed three solid lumps that grew on top of each other. The shape, Emmy noted, resembled the belated Mr. Snow Barrel. She released her hold and then folded her hands over her chest as she blinked up at the sky. "Is it over?" she asked as Zoro fell to the floor.

"Don't let your guard down," Nami warned, "We don't know what else might happen. I was finally able to realize the dangers of this sea. I now know why it's called the Grand Line. There's no doubt about it. My navigational skills won't work here at all!"

"Wow and you said it so bluntly," Usopp couldn't help but marvel, "Are we really going to be okay?"

"We'll be fine," Nami insisted, "Things will work out for sure. In fact...Look! We're already arriving at our first destination!"

"OOOH! I can see an island!" Luffy shouted from the figurehead.

"Good," Emmy said and got up to her feet. She smoothed out her apron and walked briskly into the galley. Soon, she returned dragging a sleeping Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday behind her. She didn't even bother to lift them when she walked down the stairs and their shoes clunked down each step, "This means we can say goodbye to them now."

Then, with strength that the crew didn't realize she had, she lifted them up by the collars and dropped them over the railing. "Goodbye," she stated and opened her hands.

_Splash._

"WAHHHHH!" Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday sputtered out as the sudden blast of cold water rocked them out of their slumber.

"You're here. Now leave us alone," Emmy called from the railing. She turned on her heels and walked back to her gaping nakama. She tilted her head and batted her blue eyes at them, "What?"

"Who knew you had such a cold side to you?" Nami mused.

"I don't trust them, especially Miss Wednesday," Emmy replied.

"Why? Did you sense something dangerous from her?" Usopp gulped.

"Yes," was all Emmy said and then she turned to look at her brother, "I didn't like them being with us."

"Okay," Luffy sai. He promptly moved his attention back to the island, "Look! Look at those weird cacti."

Emmy finally took a good hard look at the island in front of them. It was covered in large cacti the size of hills. A rocky coast bordered around it with an opening towards the eastern side of the island that led to a waterway. There was a thin mist that settled over the island. They could easily see through it but it gave the island an eerie and ominous presence.

"Looks like we can go inland by ship," Nami said when she noticed the opening herself.

Usopp gulped as Sanji steered the ship towards the opening and they steadily made their way into the island. "Do...do you think there are monsters here?"

"Probably," Zoro said with a grin, "This is the Grand Line after all."

"We should leave if there are monsters." It sounded more like a plea than a request from the sniper.

"Hold on a second," Nami replied, "Don't forget that we have to stay on this island for a certain period of time."

"Why?" Luffy asked.

"Unless we store the magnetism of this island in the Log Pose, we can't move on to the next island. Each island requires different amounts of time to store the Log Pose. Some take several hours while others require days," Nami explained.

"Th-Then even if this is a monster island, it's possible that we have to stay here for days instead of leaving immediately?!" Usopp shrieked.

"That's right," Nami said.

"Well, we can think about that when it happens. Let's just get going and land!" Luffy grinned.

"No matter what happens, I'll protect Nami-san and Emmy-chan!" Sanji volunteered.

That offered nothing to the sniper and a cold shiver ran down his spine. "You guys, listen...My chronic illness is suddenly...my 'do not go on this island disease' is-"

"We're going in," Emmy interrupted and she reached up to her headband "Everyone, please prepare yourselves."

Zoro's hand shot out and grabbed Emmy by the wrist before she could move her headband. "Oy, you're going to use your powers already? Are you sure that's wise? This could be a city of blood thirsty murderers for all we know."

"EEK!" Usopp screeched from the sidelines.

"We can't see very far past this mist," Emmy said, "This way we could at least know if we're being ambushed. I have my bonds now...I want to try them out."

"Don't be reckless," Zoro scolded, "You can do it once we get a better idea of what's on this island. You have your cards right?"

Emmy nodded.

"Then stick with those for now. Here's a lesson for you. Don't go all out before the battle has even started," Zoro said and then released his hand. He nodded over towards the side of the ship, "Besides, we don't need your powers to worry about an ambush. There's already people here."

"Eh?" Emmy, Usopp, and Nami gasped as they tried to look past the mist.

Sanji moved his lighter up to his cigarette and he lit it before returning his hands into his pocket and gazing stonily at the shadowy figures that lined up along the riverbank. Zoro kept watch on the opposite side while Luffy grinned eagerly up in front.

"Something's moving," he announced.

"D-d-damn it! Monsters already? Fine. I've prepared myself. Come on! Monsters! I'm ready for you!" Usopp boasted.

Emmy had her deck of cards at the ready as the Going Merry drifted through the mist. The shadowy figures were gathering and there was a faint rumbling of voices. As the Going Merry sailed more inland, the mist began to disperse and the voices became louder. Emmy gasped and lost the hold on her cards completely when the mist turned into a sea of smiling faces and the voices became thunderous cheering.

"Pirates! Welcome to our town! Welcome to Whiskey Peak!"

"EH?!" the pirates shouted incredulously at the unprecedented warm welcome they were receiving.

"Heyyyy!" Luffy cheered as he waved with both hands to the crowd, as if greeting his long time fans, "Heyyyy!"

"Well, this is unexpected…" Nami commented.

"OOOH! Look! There are pretty girls!" Sanji swooned as his eyes fell on a group of young, cheering women, who were waving posters and signs that said "WELCOME!" in various glittery paint.

"A hero's welcome? I could get used to this," Usopp grinned as he started to blow kisses out to the adoring crowd.

"Zoro…" Emmy said as she took a step closer to the swordsman, who was casting a puzzled look over the crowd, "I don't like this…"

"Me neither," Zoro mumbled but then he put a heavy hand on her head and smirked down at her, "But this is a good a training exercise for you."

"For me?" Emmy asked and then her eyes widened when she felt the swordsman lift the headband off of her.

"Yep," Zoro said and then placed her headband back in her apron pocket.

"I thought you said-"

"I said not to use your powers until we know what's on this island. Well, now we know. It's filled with people," Zoro replied, "And now it's your job to figure out what type of people they are."

His eyes met hers. "You think you can handle that?"

Emmy nodded. "Yes! I'll do my best."

There were too many people for Emmy to sort through everything and just by the sheer number of people she could see in front of her, she knew normally, it would take less than a minute for the dominant emotion to take over her. However, as soon as her headband came off, she felt the walls of her bonds come up again. They acted as filters and roadblocks for her and she was able to feel everything in a manageable amount and at a steady pace.

There was slight wavering in the wall of passion and every once in awhile it would wobble and flash with foolishness. Emmy frowned but said nothing. _So...these walls depend on the stability of their moods...Good thing I have so many bonds then._

The Going Merry docked when the navigator found a satisfactory part of town that had low enough buildings that made the ship easy to spot from a distance and just close enough to the opening in case they had to make a quick retreat.

"Feel anything?" Zoro asked quietly as Emmy climbed down the rope ladder and stepped foot onto the island.

"A lot of things," Emmy admitted, "But mostly excitement...and desperation."

"Didn't the old geezer say the town could feed off of Laboon for 2-3 years?" Zoro grunted, "They must be be in need of provisions then if their only option was to hunt down a whale."

"So what do you think they're going to do with a pirate worth 30 million berries?" Emmy asked and shot a nervous look at her brother, "Luffy, we need to-"

"Second lesson of the day" Zoro said as he covered Emmy's mouth with his hand, "Learning how to take advantage of people before they take advantage of you."

Out of nowhere, Nami appeared next to the first mate and she placed a hand on her shoulder as Zoro dropped his hand to his side.

"Didn't I already say? We need to stay here until the Log Pose is ready," Nami said, "Don't worry too much about it, Prude. Once they show their true colors, we can bust out of here."

Luffy turned towards his sister. "Emmy, did you say something?" he asked.

Emmy looked between the swordsman and the navigator. She should've known that the most cautious person and the most guarded person on the crew weren't swayed as easily as the rest of the group. She smoothed out her apron and smiled at Luffy. "We need to mind our manners. They are welcoming us so nicely after all."

"Shishishishi. Okay."


	38. I am in Training

For the second time since becoming a pirate, Emmy found herself in the middle of a town hosted celebration. However, unlike the three day long bonanza on Arlong Park, the one being thrown in their honor at Whiskey Peak was drastically different. For starters, there was no reason for this party. Luffy and his crew had done nothing except be present. The more alarming, and most important difference that Emmy could not shake off, was the fact that the merriment everyone seemed to present to her and her nakama was just a cover for the nastiness and desperation that reeked in their hearts.

She would have felt like a calf being led to slaughter, if not for the fact that both the navigator and the swordsman were more in control of the situation than the town realized, especially the swordsman. From the corner of her eye, she watched as the navigator and swordsman took part in a drinking challenge against the town. Unbeknownst to all the spectators, Zoro and Nami were not as intoxicated as they appeared to be. Despite being on guard, though, both of them seemed to be having some genuine fun out of this charade.

On the other side of the pub that they were all crammed into, Sanji was busy flirting with a table of just women while Usopp regaled an audience at the next table with his many adventures as Captain Usopp.

"Oy, Emmy, you're not eating," Luffy said in between bites as he shoved a plate of meat towards his sister. They were sitting at their own table, in a booth seat, while plates and plates of food were being brought to them. Luffy's belly had filled out to the point that he was taking up over 80% of the seat with Emmy sitting at the very edge.

"I'm...I'm just a little nervous," Emmy admitted.

"All these people?" Luffy asked and looked around the room. There were dancers and a 9 piece band amongst the crowd. The noise level was thunderous and compacted into just this one tiny establishment, "Would you feel better if you're back on the Merry? Let me grab a bento and I'll take you back. OY! Can someone get me a to-go box?!"

"No, it's okay!" Emmy insisted, "I need to get used to this many people. I can't expect to stay on Merry-san in fear of getting overwhelmed. Then I'd never leave the ship. What kind of adventure would that be?"

"Hey! You've had your headband off all night," Luffy said with a grin, "This bond thing really works."

"Yes...As long as everyone's mood is stable...And everyone seems very happy right now."

"Shishishi. That's because it's a party!" Luffy cheered, "Come on, Emmy. Be happy too! Eat!"

Emmy laughed and she accepted the plate of food in front of her, "Okay. I'll eat."

"Hello, pretty lady, would you like to dance?"

A man approached the table with his hand held out towards Emmy. He had on a white cowboy hat over his shoulder length brown hair. He wore dark blue jeans and a black shirt with the word "Bang!" written across it in white. His smile and grey eyes were as glossy as his hair.

"No, I'm okay...but thank you for the offer," Emmy said softly as she shifted a bit closer to her brother.

"Are you sure?" he pressed with his hand unmoving, "You don't have to be shy."

"Me malfeady faif mo," Luffy said with his mouth crammed with food.

"Huh?"

Luffy frowned, which was a feat considering how expanded his cheeks were. He gulped, forcing the mound of food down his rubber throat, and then shot an annoyed look at the man. "She already said no," Luffy repeated and then smacked the man's hand away, "She's busy eating."

The man kept his good natured smile as he rubbed his reddened hand. "Okay, okay," he said and backed away, "Just trying to show some hospitality to the pretty girl. She doesn't seem like she's having much fun that's all."

"I-I-I am! So much fun!" Emmy insisted. She hastily grabbed a fork and began to eat the plate of fried rice in front of her while casting a worried look over at Luffy. She didn't want to dampen his mood if he discovered how on edge she was and she knew just how much Luffy loved a good party.

"See? She's fine," Luffy stated with a satisfied nod and shovelled more food into his mouth, "MORE FOOD!"

"Eh?! More?" the townspeople gasped.

"Luffy, pace yourself," Emmy warned, "You don't want to get indigestion."

"Okay," Luffy said.

"Whoa! The young man is finally down after 13th cup!" someone shouted out from the back of the room.

"Wha?! Yer hopeless, Zorro!" Nami slurred as she slammed down another empty mug.

"Zoro?" Emmy turned to look at the swordsman. He was slumped over the table with his hand still clutching a mug. She tilted her head and stared curiously at his green hair. _He doesn't feel sleepy...in fact…_ _He's wide awake!_

Her eyes widened. _That's right...Lesson #2...Take advantage of people before they take advantage of you. He's lowering everyone's guard by pretending to be asleep._

"Wahhh! Another young man is down too!" someone else cried as Usopp sank down to the floor, exhausted from his elaborate storytelling. This time, though, Emmy's nakama was actually asleep and she turned to Luffy.

"Luffy," she said as she folded her arms over the table and rested her head on them, "I feel a bit sleepy too."

"Shishishishi. Yeah, today was a rough day at sea. Get some rest," Luffy grinned and he placed his hat on her head to help block out the light, "FOOD!"

Emmy closed her eyes and waited for the next move. One by one, she heard and felt her nakama fall asleep and one by one, the other people exited the room. She heard the distinct sounds of a door closing behind them and a lock clicking shut. Then, everything went quiet with only the sounds of steady breathing from her nakama mixed in with the crickets chirping outside.

She felt Zoro approaching her before his actual hand touched her shoulder. She sat up from her position and blinked her big blue eyes at him. He was smirking down at her while a hand rested on the hilt of his white katana. "Ready? Time for Lesson #3."

"Which is?"

"Follow me and you'll find out. Oh! And do something about the guards."

"Guards?"

_Shing!_

In one graceful move, he drew out his sword and split the doorway into two. The two halves fell to the floor, leaving two men gaping back at them. They quickly drew out guns from their waistband and pointed them at Zoro and Emmy. "Ah! You-"

"Feel Feel Repose," Emmy said as she lifted her hand.

_ZZZZZZ!_

The guards collapsed onto the ground with their mouths open and drool streaming down the side of their face.

"Now then," Zoro said with a nod and then his eyes fell on a stairwell in the corner of hte room, "How about we go to a higher vantage point and really see this town?"

"Okay," Emmy replied as she stood up and placed Luffy's hat back on his head. She let out a little sigh of defeat when she saw that the diameter of his belly was longer than her. She put a hand to her stomach and winced at how bloated she felt just by looking at him.

She followed Zoro up the stairwell. It led to the roof of the building and they peaked over the edge just enough to spot the mayor of the town, standing right in the middle of the street. Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday were with him along with a new person, who looked somewhat familiar. She was a woman with very tanned skin and light pink hair. She was the most muscular woman Emmy had ever seen. It wasn't until she spoke that Emmy was able to make the connection. The woman had dressed up like a nun and entered the drinking contest with Nami. Her habit was gone and in it's place was a red and white checkered dress.

"We should've beat them at the harbor," the woman said, "This town is already short on food. Also, we didn't have our hopes up for the whale meat anyway."

"You didn't have to say it like that! We did our best!" Mr. 9 shouted defensively.

"Calm down. Look at this. I've checked them out beforehand," Igarappoi stated. He pulled out a bounty poster from his jacket pocket and he held it out for his group to see. Even from the distance, Emmy spotted Luffy's straw hat and grin from the picture.

 _So they_ are _after Luffy's bounty…_

"Th-Th-Thirty million berries?!" Igarappoi's group cried.

"It's foolish to judge a pirate's ability based on their looks, Miss Mon-gak," Igarappoi's usual deep voice cracked in the middle of his sentence and he quickly tried to clear the frog in his throat, "Ahem. Ma! Ma! Ma! Miss Monday!"

"Sorry," the former nun said.

"Looks like we can send a good report to the boss. Confiscate all the money and other valuables on the ship immediately," Igarappoi ordered.

"And what about the pirates?" Miss Wednesday asked.

"If we kill them, the bounty drops by 30%. The Government wants to hold public executions," Igarappoi answered, "Go! Capture them alive!"

Emmy felt a hand on her back and then her eyes widened when Zoro pushed her towards the edge of the roof with him. "Sorry," he called out as he raised his blade to capture it in the moonlight, "Do you mind letting them sleep? They're all exhausted from the journey this afternoon."

"Damn it," Igarappoi cursed, "I thought you were completely asleep."

Miss Monday stuck two fingers into her mouth and let out a shrill whistle. The citizens of Whiskey Peak streamed out of their homes and gathered around her with weapons in hand.

"Swordsmen never make the mistake of letting their guard down that much," Zoro grinned, "And this one is too sensitive to be able to sleep in a foreign place, especially in a nest of bounty hunters. Isn't that right, Baroque Works?"

Emmy was just as surprised as the rest of them to hear the swordsman identify the group.

"Y-Y-You bastard!" Igarappoi exclaimed, "How is it that you know our company name?!"

"When I used to be in a similar line of work, I was recruited by your company once. I rejected it, of course. Employees don't know each other's identity and are killed by code names," Zoro said, "Naturally, that means the boss' whereabouts and identity are also a mystery, even to his underlings. Baroque Works is is a criminal group that just faithfully carries out their orders. Hmph. Not my style."

Then he smirked. "Was that supposed to be a secret?"

The bounty hunters did not like that the swordsman had just burst their bubble and Emmy could feel a rise in their bloodlust and anger. She took a tentative step back but then felt the hilt of Zoro's sword bump against her. She turned to look at the swordsman, whose face had turned solemn and his gaze unmoving from the crowd below.

"Lesson #3," he growled, "How to fight off a group of 20 people."

"20?" Emmy asked as she looked down at the street, "But there's definitely more than that here."

"You take 20. I'll take 80," he said, "Make sure you're keeping track because I sure as hell am not going to fight anyone for you. You think you can handle it?"

Emmy pulled out her cards and she nodded.

"Good girl," Zoro said.

"If you know our secrets," Igarappoi said with a regretful sigh, "Then we have no other choice but to kill you both...Another two gravestones will be added to the Cactus Rocks."

Emmy's head started to turn to get a second look at the weird cacti but felt the hilt on her back press even harder into her skin.

"Idiot. Never, ever take your eyes away from the enemy until the fight is over," Zoro scolded.

"Right," Emmy said, "Okay."

"Kill them!" Igarappoi ordered.

_Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!_

They all took one step forward and then three steps back as Emmy unloaded her cards down at their feet. They shielded their faces with their arms, creating a break in eye contact. Zoro took that moment to leap over the side, down to the street, and Emmy did a running jump over to a lower rooftop of the building next to them. She had been thrown through the air and dropped by Luffy enough to know how to tuck and roll into a somewhat painless landing.

She jumped over the edge of the building, down to a second story balcony, and then leapt over that to get to the streets. She landed right in the center of 5 bounty hunters. They grinned and pointed their guns at her while she bowed her head politely at them.

"Hello," she said and then lifted her head and hand, "And I'm sorry...Feel Feel Pacify."

The men relaxed their stance and lowered their weapons.

_Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!_

Bullets shot through each of the men and grazed Emmy's arms and cheek. Her eyes widened as the men crumbled to the ground. _They...killed their own men?!_

Her eyes flicked towards the most prominent source of bloodlust, which was just around the corner of a building. She hurriedly ducked behind another building and pulled out more cards. She closed her eyes and tried to sense the people around her. _Four...angry ones to the left of me...Seven nervous ones behind...Three with intent to kill and closing in…_

She fanned out her cards and she zoned in on the three closest ones. Her eyes snapped open when the intentions became much more specific. _They're going to shoot me. Two shots towards my stomach and one towards my head._

She whipped around the corner to face her opponents.

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_

Emmy tilted her head to the side just missing the bullet by a hair. It burned and cut her cheek while the two other bullets streaked right through her lower torso. She clenched her teeth and threw out her cards, letting her powers heal the wounds.

_Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!_

All three cards lodged deeply into the bounty hunters' trigger hands, forcing them to let go of their guns.

"Feel Feel Punch!" Emmy cried as she swung her fist out in a left hook. Her phantom hand slammed all three men into the side of the building, creating a small dent in the stone wall. Emmy took a small breath and unclenched her fist. She placed her palm out to her stomach and she smiled softly when she felt the wounds closing on itself.

"What...what are you?" one of the bounty hunters gasped when he saw the cut on Emmy's cheek close too.

"I am in training," Emmy said and brought up her fist again, "Feel Feel Punch!"

_Thwack!_

This one was much more forceful and it knocked the man out cold. Emmy smoothed out her apron, feeling the small bump of her diminished deck of cards and her headband. She felt a swell of confidence within herself and started to make her way towards the next closest group of people. "8 down...12 more to go."

She turned the corner to find a nun clutching a terrified child. "Lord have mercy!" the nun pleaded, "Lord have mercy. Please save us."

"I'm sorry," Emmy said sincerely and bowed her head just as the nun pulled out a cross that sprayed out a mist of blinding powder, "Feel Feel Repose."

_Zzzzzz!_

The nun and child slumped together as Emmy straightened up and pressed a handkerchief to her eyes to block out the gritty mist. "You can look innocent but it doesn't mean you feel it," Emmy sighed as she walked down the street, "Does that count as 10?"

"She's here! Get her!"

A group of people started to stampede towards her and Emmy studied their intent. _Five bullets to the left. Three to the right. Four swords and two clubs as well._

Fear gripped her heart. _There's too many and it'll be too fast. I can't dodge most of that. I need to stop them before they get to me. I need to stop them!_

She lifted her hand. "Feel Feel Paralytics!" she shouted as a heart shaped mist enveloped a 10 meter area surrounding her, including the incoming mob.

The group fell onto the floor like a sack of potatoes with their arms pinned to their side. Their eyes darted back and forth as they tried to make sense of what just happened but no other body part was capable of movement.

Emmy felt instant fatigue come over her but she pushed herself forward and calmly stepped over the group. _So there's a limit to how much I can use my powers..._

She counted the bodies as she passed and kicked away any fallen weapons in case any of them were able to break away. "That's 24...4 more than needed. I hope Zoro doesn't mind..."

Her path was unceremoniously blocked, however, when Miss Wednesday came into view and riding on a very large duckling. The duck was yellow all over except for blackened tips on his wings and tail. He had on a white and blue chullo and goggles over his head.

"That's quite enough, Miss Maid," Miss Wednesday said as she raised her two pinkies. There were two sharp jewels that dangled beneath her hand, "It ends here. Peacock Slasher!"

She spun the jewels around and around until they became like a slashing disk. The duck charged forward and barreled toward Emmy, who noticed that the animal itself harbored no ill intent or malice towards her.

"Sit!" she ordered.

The duck skidded to a halt with the slashing disk just stopping inches away from Emmy's face. He sat it's ducktail onto the floor and sent his rider tumbling down to the ground. "AH! Carue! What are you doing?!" Miss Wednesday cried indignantly.

"Leave me and my nakama alone," Emmy said. Her mood swiftly turning sour at the sight of this woman. She didn't know if she was just more easily irritated given how tired she was but one thing was for sure, Miss Wednesday's presence bothered her and she knew why, "I do not trust your kind."

"Hmph, it's only natural for pirates to dislike bounty hunters," Miss Wednesday sniffed, "The feeling is mutual. I can assure you."

"No...not bounty hunters," Emmy said, "Nobles. You are of noble birth."

"Eh?!" Miss Wednesday gasped and an enormous amount of fear and worry came over her, "Wh...what makes you think that?"

"A good servant can always tell who he or she must serve," Emmy said but mostly to herself then she flashed her narrowed eyes at the blue haired woman, "I've been around more than enough to know one when I'm near one."

"D-Don't underestimate a numbered agent from Baroque Works!" Miss Wednesday screamed out of pure desperation and came at Emmy on foot with her weapons spinning at a dizzying speed, "Peacock-"

"Look out, baby!"

"EH?! Mr. 9?!"

_Kaboom!_

Without warning, Miss Wednesday's partner came falling down from the sky and landing hard on top of the woman. Emmy looked up at the building he had fallen from and her eyes fell on the bored expression on her own nakama's face.

"Well?" Zoro asked, raising an eyebrow at the first mate.

"It could be 22 or 24...I'm not too sure," Emmy admitted, "And some of them aren't actually defeated. They're just asleep."

"Good enough," Zoro grunted and then swiftly landed next to Emmy. He nodded at the blue ponytail sticking out from beneath the slightly dazed Mr. 9, "You're not counting that one, right?"

Emmy shook her head. "You took her out. Not me."

_Brrrreeee!_

"Emmy! Watch-" Zoro started to warn as Igarappoi came up behind them and blew hard into his saxophone. However, the swordsman didn't get to finish his sentence as the first mate grabbed the swordsman by the shirt and crashed both of them through a nearby door.

_Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!_

They fell safely indoors as bullets shot out of the mayor's instrument. Zoro stared incredulously at the girl lying next to him. "You knew he was going to shoot?"

Emmy nodded. "I can feel their intent and I'm getting better and better at sensing their attacks."

Zoro rubbed his chin and got up to his feet. "Good to know," he said before pulling Emmy up to a standing position and kicking down the back door so they could run out from another street, "But we'll do a recap later. Let's just figure out a way to close the distance between me and that guy. He's got guns stuffed in his hair and that shotgun of his really annoying."

"I'll see what I can do," Emmy said as she smoothed out her apron. She was about to take a step forward to the street when she abruptly stiffened and goose bumps erupted along her skin.

"What? What's the-"

"SHHH!" Emmy hissed as she swiftly covered Zoro's mouth with her hands and pulled him to a darkened corner of the room. It was right by an opened window so they could see outside towards the street, "There are new people here…"

"New?" Zoro asked.

Emmy gulped and Zoro could feel the girl begin to shiver next to him. "These are definitely new...They feel...nasty and cruel."

Zoro moved her hand away from his mouth and he shoved her closer to the corner so that his body blocked hers. He reached for all three of his katanas. "Training's over, Emmy...I'll take over from here."


	39. I am Not Involved

"Igaram...the Squad Captain of Alabasta Kingdom Security...and...Princess Nefertari Vivi," Emmy gasped as she and Zoro eavesdropped from the corner of an alleyway.

They had escaped using the backdoor of the room and ducked into a side street while keeping an eye and ear out for the two new incomers, who were identified as Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine. Much to Zoro and Emmy's surprise, their focus was not on the pirates. Rather, they had come to take out two members of their own company, the mayor and Miss Wednesday, for discovering secret information regarding the boss of Baroque Works, Mr. 0.

"This is one screwed up night," Zoro muttered, "We should just leave and let them take out each other."

Emmy nodded in agreement and was about to head towards Luffy and the others when she stiffened and read the malice coming from Mr. 5. "His...snot?" she asked herself.

"Snot?" Zoro repeated and peeked around the corner.

"Nose Fancy!" Mr. 5 called out just as he flicked a small speck of booger at Mr. 9, who was somersaulting towards him with bat in hand.

_Kaboom!_

The snot exploded in the fake king's face and sent him shooting off into the distance.

"Mr. 9!" Vivi, his former partner, screamed.

"Whoa...That's some dangerous snot he's got," Zoro breathed just as a bloodied Igaram crawled to him and grabbed him by the ankles, "What the hell? Let go!"

"Swordsman-dono! Upon seeing your skill, I have a request, unreasonable as it may be," the former mayor pleaded, "As both of those people possess Devil Fruit powers, I can't stop them. Might I ask you to protect the princess in my place? If you can safely deliver the princess to the great kingdom of Alabasta, I promise that you will be rewarded immensely. I humbly beg of you."

"Screw that!" Zoro snapped, not even waiting for the first mate to weigh in, "You were trying to kill us just a minute ago! Don't make me cut you!"

"How 'immense' are we talking about for the reward?"

Zoro turned his head to see that the first mate was already shaking her head fervently at the incoming navigator, who was sitting on the edge of a nearby roof. "I'll take up that offer. How does one billion bellis sound?"

"That's not up to you to decide, Nami," Emmy called before Igaram could agree to it, "It's up to either the captain or myself."

Nami sniffed. "Like you could handle the finances. Tell me, how much treasure do we have on board right now? What's it all worth?"

Emmy narrowed her eyes. "A lot," she said.

"Wrong," Nami said and jumped down to the street, "Actually, we have almost next to nothing if we don't include my own private stash."

"Your private stash _is_ our treasure," Emmy corrected, "No one agreed to the large cut you gave yourself. It's all to be divided evenly around the crew."

"Ma-ma-ma!" Igaram sang, "A mere soldier like me can't promise such large sums of money anyways."

Nami returned to the business at hand. "You're not suggesting a princess is worth less than that, are you?"

"We are not making deals with Nobles," Emmy said point blank and her eyes locked with the navigator's, "That is that."

"Then I'll just make a private deal," Nami said with a grin and knelt in front of Igaram, "If I save the princess, then the reward will be all mine."

"I do not...and _will_ not deal with Nobles," Emmy stated curtly, "If you do this, it will be without my help. Are we clear?"

Nami's eyes flashed with annoyance. "Fine. I don't need you. I have Zoro."

"Wait! Why am I getting pulled into this?" Zoro sputtered.

"You are free to do whatever you like," Emmy said as she swiftly turned on her heels and walked away, "Just do not involve me."

"Where are you going?" Zoro demanded.

"To our ship," Emmy replied and placed her headband back on her head, "I've had enough of this island."

"Oy! Leave your headband off," Zoro called after her, "What if those bounty hunters come after you?"

"Aren't they after the princess now? Don't worry. I won't get in their way."

She walked away and ignored the faint feeling of surprise and worry from her nakama. There was sounds of explosions in the distance but Emmy did not react. She didn't want to feel or sense anything. She had had enough for the day. Not only was she mentally drained from using her powers far longer than she had ever thought possible but also physically exhausted from the prolonged fight while pulling an all nighter.

She bowed to the familiar figurehead when she spotted the ship. "Merry-san, I'm home. Sorry for keeping you waiting."

Emmy sighed and climbed up to the deck. She sat on the steps and looked up at the night sky. "Merry-san...I'm home…" she said one more time to savor the words, "Home…"

She had caught herself thinking that a few days back while cleaning but this was the first time she had said that out loud. She hugged her knees and rested her chin on the top of it. "Home…"

Her eyes clouded with worry before tears brimmed out from them. "Merry-san...I promise I won't let anything happen to you...so can you promise I won't be taken away?" she whispered.

"Quack?"

Emmy jerked up with a start and she stared wide eyed at the large duckling standing in the middle of the deck. She recognized the blue hat on his head and the mini barrel hanging around his neck with a straw stuck out of it. "Ca-Carue-san?" she gasped, "What are you doing here?"

"Quaaccck," the duck said in almost a bored tone. He walked over to her and plopped down next to her feet.

"Does this mean Princess Vivi is coming this way?" Emmy asked.

"Quack," Carue replied, which answered nothing for the first mate.

She sighed and patted him on the head. "You are a good duck. It's not your fault you are owned by a Noble. You had no choice," she said as each pat on the head became heavier and slower with every sentence, "It was probably decided right after you were born...before you could even think for yourself. By the time you learned to express yourself, she was already your master...and you couldn't leave even if you tried…"

She knew at this point that she was no longer talking to the duck but she was too worn out to even stop herself. "...And you tried at the beginning," she continued breathlessly, "A lot of times...but every time, you'd get caught and dragged back...Until finally the pain of getting brought back was just not worth trying...much less harboring any type of hope...so you just stopped…"

Tears fell heavily onto Emmy's lap as she squeezed her eyes shut and brought her hands into her lap. "If I get brought back...After having hope for this long…After meeting Gramps...and Luffy...and everyone...I-...I-..."

Her throat closed and she was unable to squeeze any more words out. Her hands clenched tightly into her fists. _No...I won't get taken away...My scar is hidden..and I have Luffy...and everyone...They won't let anything happen to me, just like I won't let anything happen to them. I-_

_Kaboom!_

An explosion off on the other side of Whiskey Peak rocked the sea and shook the island. The night sky briefly ignited into a fiery red from the flames. A Cactus Rock was blocking Emmy's view so she didn't know exactly what had exploded but the flames were condensed and high enough for the sky to resemble a sunrise for just a few seconds.

Emmy and Carue leapt up to their feet and dashed towards the railing, watching smoke billow out and the light start to dim.

"What...what is this?!" Emmy gasped. She ripped her headband off of her head and she looked frantically around the town. _Everyone...please be alive...please be alive._

She sucked in a sharp breath of relief when her bonds came back up. Luffy's, Zoro's, and Nami's wall were not as stable as Usopp's and Sanji's but they were all still standing. _Good...they're fine...They're fine…_

She turned towards the duck, who was churning with turmoil and worry. His master was still out there and her well being was unknown. _He cares about his master...He's loyal to her..._

Emmy frowned and put a hand on his head. "She'll be fine," Emmy said, "She's probably with Zoro and everyone else. They're strong."

"Quack?"

"They'll keep her safe," Emmy assured him and then she sighed when she felt a familiar sense of duty heading her way, "And they're coming back to the ship. So let's just wait for everyone here, okay?"

"Quack."

It was only after a few seconds, Zoro's green hair came around the corner of a building and into the harbor. He gave a short wave with his arm when he spotted Emmy. "Oy, Emmy! We're getting the hell out of here!"

"Sounds good to me!" Emmy called out, just as Nami and Vivi arrived just a few steps behind him. Emmy's hands went up to the back of her dress and she pressed the collar towards her neck, double checking that it was indeed high enough to cover up her tattoo. Then she sighed and smoothed out her apron before giving a pat on Carue's head. "See? Told you she was fine."

"Quack!" Carue said happily as Zoro climbed aboard.

"Luffy is getting the others and Nami is coming with..."

His voice trailed off and he scratched the back of his head. He opened his mouth to say something but Emmy immediately cut him off, feeling a touch of his guilt and worry. "Go raise the anchor, Zoro. We need to prepare to leave once everyone arrives."

"In the end, it wasn't Nami's decision to help Vivi. It was Luffy's...Just thought you should know that. It's captain's orders," Zoro grunted as he headed off to retrieve the anchor. He thought it best that the first mate not go at it with the navigator when they arrived. She was always more understanding when it came to her brother.

If Emmy's jaw clenched any harder, she would've broken her two front teeth. "Thank you for telling me," she said through a brittle smile and she ran her hands down her apron as she waited for more people to come on board.

"OY! Zoro! I brought them!" Luffy's voice called out from over the edge of the ship. Emmy leaned over and saw that he was dragging a still sleeping Usopp and Sanji by the nose and collar, respectively.

"Hurry up and bring them up! We need to get going!" Zoro shouted back.

"Okay," Luffy grinned and then his attention moved to his sister. His grin faltered just a touch when their eyes met. "Emmy? Everything okay?"

Emmy nodded with her smile fixed on her face. "Yes...Captain."

Luffy tilted his head curiously to the side. Since when did Emmy call him captain? He looked over at the swordsman to see if Zoro knew what was going on with Emmy but the swordsman's attention was on something happening behind Luffy.

"There's no time to look for him!"

"But we can't just leave him here!"

Nami and Vivi were locked in a heated argument with the princess refusing to take another step closer to the ship.

"Oy! What's going on?" Zoro demanded.

"She says her duck is missing!" Nami shouted out, "And she won't leave without him."

"You mean that duck?" Zoro asked as he pointed at Carue.

"QUACK!"

"You've been here this whole time?!" Nami and Vivi seethed as Luffy threw Sanji and Usopp onto the deck before climbing up himself.

He frowned at his sister, who had her hands clasped tightly in front of her. "Oy, Emmy. You look weird. Did the bounty hunters feed you some bad meat or something?"

"Why is she coming?" Emmy asked softly.

Luffy raised an eyebrow. "Who? Vivi? Because that roller haired guy asked us to and he was a good guy."

Emmy blinked. "Was?"

"Ah, he sailed out pretending to be us as decoy...but then his ship blew up."

Emmy's hand went to her arm to rub out the goosebumps forming along her skin. "Another life sacrificed for another Noble…"

Luffy rushed over to her and he started to warm up her arms for her. "It's not like that, Emmy! They're good people. Don't worry."

"Will you still say that if they find out who I am? Will you still say that if they try to take me away?" Emmy asked and brushed his hands away from her. She took a step back and that's when he noticed how cold her eyes were.

Before Luffy could say anything more, Emmy was already walking past him to drape some blankets over the snoozing sniper and cook.

"OY! Luffy! Help Zoro out with the sails!" Nami called out as she looked down at her Log Pose, "And Emmy, you and Vivi-"

She stiffened when she put the names together.

Emmy put the final blanket over the sniper and her eyes went to the princess, who was clutching her duck and shivering with fear and despair. "How many?" Emmy asked.

"Eh?" Vivi's head popped up from Carue's shoulder and she blinked at the first mate, "Miss Maid?"

"Uh...Vivi, you might not want to call Emmy that…" Nami warned from her spot.

"She can call me whatever she wants," Emmy said and smoothed her hands over her apron, "After all, it is her right as a princess. Isn't that how it works? You say jump and we ask how high? One minute, we're your prey, the next we're your escorts. It's entirely up to whatever a Noble wants. That's how your world works."

"Eh?"

"Oy! Emmy. Be nice to-" Luffy started to say but Emmy wasn't done yet.

"I assume Baroque Works is now going to be after us," Emmy said as the ship started to move away from the island, "So...how many would that be?"

"I...I don't know. There are about 2,000 people in Baroque Works and I've heard there are several town-like bases like this one nearby," Vivi admitted.

"H-Huh?! We're back on the ship? And it's moving?!"

The tension was cut by the awakening of Usopp and Sanji. They blinked up at the night sky before leaping to their feet and dashing over to the stern of the ship to see Whiskey Peak getting lost among the foggy mist that settled along its borders. The sun was beginning to rise but it wasn't strong enough for them to see the town for even an extra second.

"Wait! Turn back!" Sanji pleaded, "Let's just stay one more night! The town is great and the girls are cute!"

"Yeah!" Usopp agreed, "There's no telling when we'll have this much fun again!"

"Let's take it easy. We _are_ pirates!"

"READ THE ROOM, YOU IDIOTS!" Nami seethed as she socked them both hard across the jaw.

"It's good we managed to escape the people chasing us," a foreign female voice sighed, "But we need to be careful not to crash the ship into the rocks surrounding this river."

"Just leave it to me, Emmy!" Nami cheered with her eyes forward.

"That...that wasn't me," Emmy gasped as she spun on her feet to look up towards the upper deck. A woman was sitting along the railing with her legs crossed and her chin resting on a hand. She had on a short purple dress with a matching cowboy hat and boots. Her eyes were icy blue and her whole demeanor was as cool as an iceberg. _How did she get up here...without us noticing?!_

"Who...who are you?!" Zoro demanded with his hand in his katana.

"This is a nice ship," the intruder murmured.

"Y-You're…!" Vivi gasped.

The intruder's smile never left her face as her eyes locked with the princess'. "I ran into Mr. 8 earlier...Miss Wednesday."

"You killed Igaram, MIss All Sunday?!" Vivi demanded.

"Miss All Sunday?" Nami gasped, "What number is she partnered to then?"

"The boss...Mr. 0...," Vivi gulped.

"Who cares about that?" Luffy shouted indignantly and pointed a finger at the intruder, "Who are you and what are you doing on my ship?!"

Emmy studied the woman. Her eyes widened at the amount of control Miss All Sunday had on all her emotions. Everything was perfectly proportioned. Happiness, sadness, fear, anger. Everything was level and forced to be so, which was something Emmy had never experienced before.

"She was the only one who knew the boss' identity. We found out who he is by following her," Vivi explained to the group.

"More accurately, I _allowed_ you to follow me," Miss All Sunday corrected.

"Oh, then she's good!" Luffy said.

"But that means you're also the one who told him we discovered his identity. Am I right?!" Vivi demanded.

"That is right," Miss All Sunday stated.

"So she's bad," Luffy growled.

"Pipe down, Luffy!" Zoro snapped.

"What exactly are you trying to do here?!" Vivi demanded.

"Good question," Miss All Sunday sighed, which threw Emmy off. The woman was telling the truth. She really hadn't really figured out what she was doing here. "You were all so intent and serious that I found myself helping out. The idea of a princess trying her hardest to save her kingdom while becoming an enemy of Baroque Works...It was just so ridiculous, you see…"

"Don't mock me!" Vivi screamed as Usopp pointed his slingshot at Miss All Sunday's head, while on the other side, Sanji drew out a gun. Zoro had his sword at the ready while Nami took out her staff. Even Luffy stood in front of Vivi with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Do…do you realize what you're doing, Sanji?" Usopp asked the cook.

"No...Not really," Sanji admitted, "I just sense that my beloved Miss Wednesday is in danger…"

"Stand down! That means you too, Miss All Sunday!" Emmy called out and everyone turned to look at Emmy in surprise, "We won't threaten you again and there's no need to disarm the group. They'll lower their weapons."

"Disarm the group? Huh?" Usopp asked.

The woman's gaze fell over the first mate and Emmy could feel her curiosity rise as the slight fear, which had come up when everyone drew their weapons, begin to lower as her arms uncrossed and did the same.

"We mean you no harm...just like you don't mean us any, right?" Emmy asked.

"AHHH!" Sanji suddenly shouted, "Now that I look at you, you're quite a beautiful lady!"

"Not now!" Zoro yelled.

"My, my," the woman said, her smile unwavering and kept on the first mate, "It's good that there's someone on board who isn't as hasty as the others and it's true. I haven't been given any orders. I have no reason to fight. And you are…?"

Emmy bowed her head. "Monkey D. Emmy. I am the first mate of this ship. Pleased to meet you, Miss All Sunday."

"Monkey D…" Miss All Sunday murmured and then, without any warning, Luffy's straw hat shot into her hands, "So you're related to the straw hat captain that I've heard so much about."

"He's my brother," Emmy said.

"Oy!" the topic of conversation seethed, "Gimme back my hat! Are you trying to start a fight?!"

Miss All Sunday twirled the hat around her finger and her attention moved to the captain. "How unlucky you are...You people picked up a princess Baroque Work intends to kill...but what's even unluckier is the curse your Log Pose indicates. You see, the next island you're heading to is Little Garden."

"Little Garden?" Nami repeated as she looked down at her Log Pose.

"We don't even need to do anything. You'll be wiped out long before you can even reach Alabasta," Miss All Sunday warned and then tossed Luffy his hat back, "Do you not think getting yourself wiped out like that is a bit foolish?"

Then she flung something over at Emmy. The first mate looked down in her hands at what looked like a larger, standing version of a Log Pose.

"An Eternal Pose?" Vivi asked, staring at the ornament in Emmy's hands.

"Nanimonai Island," Emmy read from the engraved lettering on the wood that held up the compass.

"You can skip past Little Garden with that. It points to an island just before Alabasta. It's also known as Nothing Island. There's nothing there and completely safe. None of our employees know that course, so no one will chase you."

Emmy fixed her eyes on the woman. "Say that again."

"None of our employees know that course, so no one will chase you."

"She's telling the truth," Emmy said to the crew, "It's not a trap."

"Who cares about that?!"

Before Emmy could react, Luffy ripped the Eternal Pose out of her hold and crushed it with his bare hands. "You're not the one who decides the ship's course!" he shouted at Miss All Sunday.

"I see," Miss All Sunday said with no offense taken, "That's too bad."

"Luffy!" Emmy protested, "She was-"

"She blew up the old tube hair guy, so I hate her!" he stated.

Emmy gaped at her brother and then a new type of anger she had never felt before took over her. It overwhelmed her but in the way she wasn't used to - purely within her and with no outside influence.

_Thwack!_

"EMMY?!" the whole crew exclaimed as Emmy slapped Luffy hard across the cheek.

"What about me? Or Zoro? Or everyone else?" she asked in a shaky breath and then pointed a finger at Vivi, "They tried to kill... _us…_ yet you brought her on board. Why don't you hate _her_?"

"Oy! Emmy! Are why are you being like this?!" Luffy demanded, "I already told you, they're good people. That Sunday person is the bad guy for attacking them!"

A tear slipped down Emmy's face, which instantly shut the rubber boy up. That hit him harder than her actual slap. She brushed it away from the back of her hand and she returned her headband back to her head. She couldn't believe it but she felt more depleted than before. She was thoroughly and utterly spent.

"Fine...do what you want," she whispered, "It's like you said. You're the one who decides on the ship's course...You're the captain. It's your decision. I'm just here to follow your orders."

"Emmy...I-" Luffy started to say but then his sister turned to the rest of the group. She straightened up her spine before doing a complete 90 degree bow.

"I'm sorry, everyone, but I would like excuse myself and call it a night. I'm very tired," she said and then nodded at Miss All Sunday, "Thank you for your suggestion. I'm sorry we couldn't take it."

"Not at all," the woman replied smoothly and then got up on the deck, "It's fine. I don't dislike high-spirited people. Maybe we'll meet again someday."

"Maybe," Emmy said.

"Emmy-chan, what's going on? What happened?" Sanji asked, "What did Usopp and I miss?!"

"Ask the others," Emmy replied curtly and headed towards the boys' quarters, "I am not involved."

She paused in her step for just a moment and she looked over at Luffy. Her eyes had turned distant again. "Unless...you are ordering me to stay, Captain?"

Luffy said nothing. He couldn't. He didn't know what to say and she knew it. She gave another nod before going on her way, leaving her brother and her nakama in stunned silence.


	40. I am Not Losing My Sense of Adventure.

"Ah! A dolphin! There's a dolphin!" Luffy cheered.

The pirates were en route to Little Garden and had been sailing for over a day. The sun was high up in the sky while Luffy sat cross legged on top of the figurehead, looking out onto the horizon. He had been sitting there ever since he woke up. It was the first night in awhile that he had slept back in his hammock and it was the first night in years that he had slept out of reaching distance from Emmy.

She had not appeared on deck all morning, which concerned everyone except the navigator and the swordsman. The rest of the crew were informed that Emmy had pulled an all nighter fighting her share of the bounty hunters so it was highly possible that overusing her powers had taken a toll on the girl. Her physical state, however, was less worrisome than her emotional one.

"Dolphin? Where?" Usopp asked excitedly as he rushed over to Luffy to get a look too.

"Over there!" Luffy said and pointed straight ahead, "Oy! Emmy! Come-"

He stopped short when he remembered the first mate's absence. His hand fell back into his lap and the grin left his face. He didn't think he did anything wrong so...why did he feel so terrible? "Usopp," he asked, "Do you think I did a bad thing?"

"What? Bringing Vivi?" Usopp sighed as he leaned over the railing, "I mean, what's done is done, right? It's not like we can bring Vivi back to Whiskey Peak now even if we wanted to."

"Yeah," Luffy said, "But Emmy is really mad at me. I've never seen her like that before."

"Really?" Usopp asked, "You two have never fought? I thought it was common for siblings."

"I fought with my brothers a lot…" Luffy admitted and then tilted his hat over his eyes, "But never with Emmy…Maybe it's different with sisters."

"Brothers?" Usopp asked but Luffy was too lost in his own thoughts to hear the sniper.

He stared out into the glistening waters for a long time, pondering what he should do. Then he turned back to his friend. "Usopp...What did you do when Kaya was mad at you?"

"Eh? Well, Kaya only got mad at me once...When she thought I was lying about Kuro," Usopp said, "So it went away when the misunderstanding got cleared up. Otherwise, we've never had a fight either."

He rubbed his chin and thought long and hard about his captain's problem. "If you want to figure out what's going on with Emmy, you'll need to ask someone who gets into fights with women all the time."

They looked at one another and then gave a firm nod, each of them reaching a conclusion.

"SANJI!" Luffy yelled.

"ZORO!" Usopp cried at the same time.

The swordsman, who had been napping along the railing, opened one eye and glared up at them, just as the cook came storming out of the galley with an apron around his waist and his hands on his hips. "What?" they demanded simultaneously.

"Eh? Why are you asking Sanji?" Usopp asked Luffy, "Zoro's the one who seems to naturally piss off women."

"But Sanji seems to know women better," Luffy pointed out, "And I don't think all of them like whatever it is that he does."

"That's true."

"Oy! What are you two idiots muttering about?" Sanji asked. His curiosity got the better of him and he made his way to the captain and sniper with the swordsman trudging behind him.

"Luffy is just trying to figure out what to do about Emmy," Usopp sighed, "Is she still sleeping?"

Sanji fitted a cigarette to his lips. "No," he said as he lit the tip and took in a drag, "She's in the kitchen with me. She's been in there for an hour now."

"What?!" Luffy almost fell off the figurehead if not for the quick reflexes of the swordsman, who whacked him back into place with his sheathed katana.

"Yeah. Before that, she was organizing the storage room and doing laundry. She's been up for the past four hours," Sanji said.

"That's odd," Usopp muttered, "Usually when she wakes up, she makes sure to greet anyone who is already awake and check in to see if there's anything they need…"

"Not just that," Sanji pointed out, "She's even quieter than normal. In fact, she's barely talking."

"So she's still mad, huh?" Zoro grunted, "From my experience, girls tend to stay mad until you apologize and make it up to them."

"See?" Usopp said with a proud smile, "I knew asking Zoro would be the best."

" _But_ ", Zoro interjected before Luffy could agree to anything, "Luffy, you are not apologizing to Emmy."

"Eh? Why not?" Usopp asked on Luffy's behalf.

"Because bringing Vivi is Luffy's orders as captain. Luffy, if you apologize to Emmy and show any doubt in your decision, what's going to stop the rest of us from questioning and arguing with you on any future orders?" Zoro lectured, "You might want to go soft on her because she's your sister but she is still the first mate. If anything, she needs to apologize to you. She was being insubordinate."

"Oy, don't get carried away," Sanji snapped, "Saying stuff like 'insubordinate' and 'captain's orders'. You know just as well as I do how obedient Emmy-chan is! She would never do anything disloyal to us, especially Luffy. All she did was voice her opinion."

"She was just scared...Scared of Vivi."

The boys turned their heads to see the navigator coming towards them with the princess and duck next to her.

"Scared of Vivi?" Usopp asked Nami, "Why the hell would she be scared of Vivi?"

"It's not Vivi, really," Nami sighed, "It's...of who Vivi is. A princess...A Noble…She's had trouble with them in the past."

"I'm sorry…" Vivi apologized for the upteenth time, "If I knew I would cause this much trouble...I would've…"

"What? Stay on the island to die?" Nami scoffed and poked the princess hard in the forehead, "You had no other option and you're here now so just deal with it."

Vivi bit her lip. "Maybe I should go talk to her."

"I don't know if that's such a good idea," Usopp said, "It might makes things worse."

"Or it could make things better," Nami countered with a thoughtful frown, "Since Emmy's problem stems more from Vivi than Luffy, I think it would be good for them to talk it out. At least, reach some sort of understanding. I mean, Emmy has her power so she just needs to study Vivi and see that she means us no harm."

"Unfortunately, not right now," Sanji sighed.

"Eh?"

"Emmy-chan...She can't feel anything right now," Sanji said, "It's been that way since she woke up. She tried using her powers with and without her headband but nothing is coming to her. I think it's backlash from her night at Whiskey Peak. You pushed her too hard, you shitty swordsman."

"She handled it well and on her own!" Zoro grunted, "So don't tell me it was a bad thing."

"Even if she can't use her powers, Vivi can still try talking to her," Nami said and she shared a look with the princess.

"Yes. I want to try and-," Vivi started to say.

"No."

They all turned to the captain, who had returned to staring off into the distance. "No," he repeated, "If she's just scared of Vivi, then it's fine. She'll come around."

"But...wouldn't Vivi talking to her ease her fears?" Nami asked.

"Emmy will be fine," Luffy said, "Just give her some space. Nami, how much longer until we get to the island?"

"Huh? Oh…"

It took a moment for Nami to adjust to the change of topic. She lifted up the Log Pose to eye level and she smiled faintly, "If we keep heading straight, we should be getting there soon. The needle is completely straight and not wavering at all so we must be getting close."

"Good," Luffy said and tilted his hat over his eyes, "Wake me up when we get there."

* * *

When they started to approach the island known as Little Garden, the first mate still did not appear on deck even after the many attempts from the cook and sniper to get her out. She remained in the galley when they pulled up to the island that resembled more of a lush, tropical jungle than an actual garden. She didn't even budge from her seat around the dining table when the cook came in to prepare some lunch boxes for Luffy and Vivi to take with them for their island exploration adventure. She said nothing when Sanji mentioned who was receiving the meal she was helping him pack. She just wordlessly portioned more meat into Luffy's share and took out half the vegetables.

"You sure you don't want to see them off? Or...even go with them?" Sanji asked when the bentos were done and he put them into a backpack that Luffy could carry.

Emmy nodded.

"Well, you shouldn't coop yourself up in here all day either," Sanji sighed, "How about we take a little walk after they leave? No Luffy and no Vivi-chan. Just you and me. We have to gather food anyways."

There was a long pause before a small nod came from the first mate.

Sanji let out a defeated smile. "Good. I'll be right back then, little lady."

He left the room and his smile turned authoritative. "Okay," he said as he carried the bag to Luffy, "Here's two lunch boxes and…"

He fitted a refilled mini barrel over Carue's head "...A special to-go drink for the duck."

"QUACK!" Carue cheered.

"Oy, Luffy," Sanji muttered under his breath as he turned his attention back to the captain, "You better enjoy that. Emmy-chan packed that for you herself."

"Really?" Luffy said with a faint trace of a grin pulling at his lips. He hoisted the backpack up to his shoulders and then a thought struck him, "Oy...Sanji...Is she still not talking?"

"Ah. Quiet as a mouse," Sanji said.

"Sanji...do we have any rice crackers?" Luffy asked.

"No. We ran out awhile back ago," Sanji replied, "Why?"

Luffy frowned. "Never mind."

"She did mention it was her favorite…" Sanji said, "You think that would get her to talk?"

"Don't worry about it," Luffy said with a shrug and then his eyes moved to the closed galley door, "She's in there, right?"

"Ah."

"EMMY! Food, Fight, Feel!" Luffy cheered towards the door. He waited a moment, half expecting to see her face pop up to the porthole in the doorway, but when there was no trace of her, he leapt over the ship and down to the island, "Come on, Vivi! Let's go!"

"Well, then...I'll see you all later!" Vivi called as she sat on Carue's back. They followed the rubber boy overboard and made their way into the jungle.

"Miss Wednesday sure is brave…" Usopp said.

"As expected by a princess who infiltrated an enemy organization," Nami commented.

Sanji walked back to the galley and then knocked on the door. "Emmy-chan...Are you ready to go for a walk? Luffy and Vivi-chan just left."

_Creeeeakkkk!_

The door to the galley slowly opened and Emmy's big blue eyes peeked out from behind it. "Yes…" she said softly, "It would be a terrible waste for me to just stay inside when there's a new island to explore, wouldn't it?"

"Ah," Sanji said. It was the most she had said to him this entire morning. The cook couldn't tell if it was because Luffy and Vivi had left the ship or because Luffy's cheer had maybe worked it's magic on the first mate.

"Eh...I can take you, Emmy," Zoro said as he walked over to the railing and leapt down to the island, "I'm getting a little bored myself."

"Wait!" Sanji said, "If you're bored then go look for some animals. If they look pretty edible, bring them back. We're running short on food."

"Fine," Zoro said and jumped off the ship, "I'll bring one that you couldn't possibly capture yourself."

"WAIT! YOU BASTARD!" Sanji seethed as he leaned over the railing, "I can't let that remark go unchallenged. You can capture a bigger one than I can, you say?"

"Of course," Zoro smirked.

"Tch. Care for a hunting match?" Sanji shouted.

"Bring it on."

"Yosh! Winner is the one who brings the animal with the most kilos of meat."

"Tch, don't you mean 'tons'?"

"You can talk cocky once you've brought back some prey," Sanji said.

"I know I can beat you," Zoro sneered, "In fact, I'm so confident I'm willing to let you take Emmy with you."

"Me? Why me?" Emmy asked.

"Didn't Luffy say you have the ability to lure in wild animals?"

"Oh yes…" Emmy said, "But I don't want to give anyone an advantage...I can stay behind."

"It's fine," both Zoro and Sanji said and then the cook held out his hand to her.

"Come on, Emmy-chan. Let's go get some food," he said.

Emmy smoothed out her apron and she bobbed her head at Nami and Usopp. "Will you two be okay on the ship by yourself?"

"Better here than out there," Nami replied with a shiver in her voice.

"E-E-Emmy, are you sure you want to go on the island? We saw this huge tiger that died because of a fatal wound on it. Something is out there that can kill even tigers!" Usopp shrieked, scaring himself over that memory.

Emmy straightened her headband and walked over to Sanji, who helped her climb over the railing. She smiled at Usopp and Nami before going down the rope ladder. "Where's your sense of adventure?" she asked, "We are pirates, after all."

"Emmy sure is brave…" Usopp whispered to Nami.

"As expected by a person returning to the Grand Line despite knowing all the horrible things that could happen on it," Nami replied.

"EEK! What horrible things?" Usopp gasped, "Wait! No. Don't tell me. I don't want to know!"

* * *

"Amazing!" Luffy cried as he scrambled up the neck of a dinosaur. He wasn't sure what kind it was but it didn't matter. All he needed to know was that it was a freakin' dinosaur, alive and rideable.

Vivi had tried to explain to him how those prehistoric animals came to be on this island but he didn't really care. The past was not something he cared about especially since the present was so much cooler. He was about to ride on top of a dinosaur head!

He climbed up the last part of the dinosaur's neck and stood right up at the top of it's head. He was above the treetops of the jungle and he could see further into the island than he ever could before. "Wooo. What a view," he breathed as he held tightly onto his hat, "Man, Emmy really should've come with me to see this."

He frowned at nothing in particular as he thought about his sister. She shouldn't let her bad mood get in the way of an adventure. If she was mad at him, then she should just fight him. He'll take a couple of punches from her if that's what would make her feel better. At least, that was how he would've settled it with Ace and Sabo.

But if Sanji was right and she was just scared, then that would be really annoying. Emmy was not a scaredy cat and she should know better than to be scared of Vivi. She could usually read people really well so why can't she see that Vivi was a nice girl?

And even if Vivi wasn't good, doesn't Emmy trust that he'd be able to keep her safe no matter what? Besides, she was able to fight off a town of bounty hunters all by herself! She should be feeling proud of herself. Not fear!

Yeah, maybe he should've been there to help out but...she did great! So what was she so upset about?

This long drawn out process was irritating and it was getting in the way of him enjoying his adventure. "Sisters are complicated," he muttered and then his concern was wiped away completely by a sight in front of him, "WOO! So there really are volcanoes on this island! And there are two white mountains with huge holes in them. I wonder what's that about."

"It's dangerous! Come down already!" the princess shouted from the ground below.

"Huh?"

"Even if it's well-behaved, it's still a dinosaur!" she warned.

"It's fine," Luffy grinned, "This is a nice dinosaur. Besides, you should really come up and check out this weird landscape!"

"Forget about the landscape. Just come down!" Vivi insisted.

Luffy ignored her and then frowned again. If Emmy was here, she wouldn't protest. She'd join him up at the top and maybe even get the dinosaur's nakama to come hang out with them. Sure, Emmy might be a little nervous at first but she wouldn't tell him to come down. She would just remind him to be careful...and to be nice, which is what he fully intended to do.

He leaned over the dinosaur's head so that he could stare it right in one of it's eyes. "Hello, I'm Monkey D. Luffy! Nice to meetcha," he said as politely as he could, "I have a favor to ask. Will you please take me over to one of those weird mountains?"

The dinosaur seemed like he was staring right through the rubber boy and it just kept chomping away at the mouthful of leaves that he had in his mouth. Luffy shook his head disapprovingly.

"Oy, stop being so mean and take me there," he said, "I already said please."

The dinosaur continued to ignore him so Luffy straightened up. "Yosh. I tried Emmy's way. That didn't work so now I can do it my way," he said and wrapped his arms around the dinosaur's head, "Come on. Let's go...THIS WAY!"

At the last statement, he jerked the dinosaur's head towards the weird landscape. He could feel his fists pull up into the dinosaur's chin, which it didn't seem to like because it spat out it's food and let out a loud roar. At ground level, the princess and her duck didn't seem to happy with what he did either because they started to scream in fear.

"Who'd do something like that?!" Vivi demanded.

Tears came pouring down the dinosaur's head and Luffy immediately let go. "Ah! I'm sorry, did I hurt you? Didn't mean to do it so forcefully...but...erm...about that mountain…?"

The ground trembled violently and trees around them collapsed. "Eh? What's going on?" Luffy asked just as a whole group of the same dinosaurs came bounding towards him.

"AHHHHH!" Vivi screamed.

"AMAZING!" Luffy cheered, "And these dinosaurs are taller so it looks like I'll have a better view!'

"That's not the point!" Vivi snapped.

"Come on, Vivi! Where's your sense of adventure?" Luffy cried as he shot out an arm towards the tallest dinosaur so he could stand on its head. As soon as he landed his feet, the dinosaur bucked his head so that the rubber boy flew over his head and down its neck, "Oooh! This is fun!"


	41. I am His Partner.

**Ch 41 - I am His Partner.**

"Sanji! Look!" Emmy called out as she rode on the back of a saber-toothed tiger and pointed upwards to one of the many jungle trees around them. Her headband was off and safely tucked into her apron pocket. There was no need for it since Emmy couldn't feel anything outside of her own emotions, "That tree has fruits. Does that look edible?"

"Maybe," the cook mused. He dropped the large t-rex he was dragging and he gave the trunk of the tree a hard kick, shaking the top hard enough for the fruit to fall. He tossed it over to the first mate, who had an already filled basket of assorted fruits and vegetables strapped to her back, "Put it in with the rest and we'll check it all later. Boy, this island is filled with unusual things."

"Dinosaurs...saber-toothed tigers...even the plant life are from another time," Emmy breathed as she rubbed the tiger behind the ear, "You're amazing, Sabertooth-san."

He slowed down his pace and rumbled out a low purr of satisfaction.

"What's amazing is how fast it took a liking to you after we saved it from this dinosaur, Emmy-chan," Sanji said. He led the way through the jungle with the dinosaur behind him while Emmy and the tiger trotted next to him. They had felt the boom of an active volcano nearby so it was no wonder that the plants were brimming with life from the nutritious soil the volcano provided.

"Animals have a deep sense of loyalty," Emmy replied, "And they bond easily to those who approach them without any malicious intent."

"Ooh, Emmy-chan, are you getting your powers back? Are you starting to sense what the tiger is feeling?" Sanji asked.

Emmy shook her head. "I still can't feel anything from others. This is just based on experience. I remember I once saved a bear cub, who got caught in a trap. It followed me for days. I almost got in trouble with it's mother if it wasn't for Luffy."

"What did he do? Kill it?"

"No, he pulled me up into a tree and got me home safely," Emmy giggled at the memory, "He wanted to, though, but I didn't want to leave the cub motherless. It was still so young."

"Did you handle a lot of animals growing up?"

"Only when I started to live with Luffy and Dadan-san," Emmy said, "There were a lot of animals in the mountains."

"How long did you live with Luffy?"

"About two years," Emmy replied, "Then we came out to sea."

"Only two years, huh?" Sanji said with a smile, "Feels like you and Luffy have known each other longer."

"Because we're siblings?"

Sanji paused in his step for just a moment. "That too...But then again, it's not too surprising. That idiot is pretty easy to read."

Emmy looked down at her hands, resting on top of the tiger's head. "Is that so…?" Emmy said softly, "Because I don't know if he's mad at me or not..."

Sanji turned to look at her. "Is...is that what you've been worried about this whole time? You've been avoiding coming outside the deck because of him and not Vivi-chan?"

Emmy bit her lip and then she hung her head. "Yes."

"And you're not angry at him...instead you're worried that he's angry with you?"

Emmy's head bobbed in a half nod, keeping her face hidden from Sanji. "Yes."

Sanji ran a hand through his hair and he smiled defeatedly at the girl. _So you weren't scared of Vivi-chan...You were more scared that Luffy was angry with you...That's why his words cheered you up…_

"Of course he's not mad at you, Emmy-chan. Why would you think that?"

"Because of how I acted yesterday," Emmy said and wrung her hands together, "I've never acted that way before...and I did it...in front of him... _to_ him..."

"You were angry with him, yes?" Sanji asked.

"Yes...but I've never...felt angry with him. Ever. And...it was a different kind of angry. It was a...sad kind of angry...It was...I don't even know what it was..." Emmy struggled to find the right words. She had spent all night and all morning trying to figure out exactly what had come over her but she still couldn't place a finger on it.

"You were hurt. Weren't you, Emmy-chan?" Sanji asked gently.

Emmy's head popped up and she blinked at the cook for a moment before she did a small nod. "Hurt," she repeated breathily, "Yes...Hurt...That's the right word for it. I was hurt...but…"

Her hand went to her chest and she looked down at it as if expecting blood to pour out of it. "It wasn't an actual wound…"

Sanji exhaled a steady stream of smoke. "You were hurt because you felt betrayed, Emmy-chan," he said.

"Betrayed?" Emmy asked.

"Ah...You clearly were willing to listen to Miss All Sunday. Yet Luffy did not share that sentiment. Instead, he chose to take sides with Vivi-chan, who you distrust," Sanji explained, "Isn't that what made you upset?"

Emmy looked down at the top of her hands. "Yes."

"Then it's natural for you to feel betrayed," Sanji said, "You expected him to take your side and yet he didn't."

"No...I didn't expect that," Emmy clarified, "I expected him to at least listen to what I had to say but...it didn't seem to get through to him..and I felt...frustrated."

"Yeah, well, that's Luffy, isn't it?" Sanji sighed, "We all have that problem with him. He just does what he wants. The only reason why you never noticed it as a problem was because you never really disagreed with him until now."

"So what do you do when you have that problem with him?" Emmy asked.

Sanji grinned against his cigarette. "Kick him," he replied and then gave a wink to Emmy, "But I doubt that's something you'd do."

"Then what should I do?"

"Tell him how you feel," Sanji said.

"I tried last night, remember? He won't listen."

"No, Emmy-chan. He will if you tell him exactly how _you_ feel about the situation. Leave out Vivi-chan. Leave out Miss All Sunday," Sanji said, "He'll listen when it's about you."

"Are you sure?"

"Very," Sanji said and then he gave the first mate a warm smile. "Emmy-chan, why don't we bring the basket back to the ship and then go find Luffy? The faster you talk to him, the sooner you and him can explore the island together. That's what you really want, isn't it?"

"Yes...how did you know that?" Emmy asked.

"Because you two are partners."

"Partner?"

"Of course. Haven't you noticed? You're the first person he always asks to come with him whenever he leaves the ship," Sanji said, "Whenever he asks me to pack his lunch usually that includes your lunch too."

"Oh...I didn't...actually," Emmy admitted, and for some reason that thought made her very happy, "His partner…"

"Then, shall we go back to the ship then?"

Her eyes fell on the dinosaur in the cook's hand and she gasped. "Oh! What about your match with Zoro?"

"I've won, of course," Sanji said as he turned on his heels and headed back towards the Merry, "There's no way that shitty swordsman could get something bigger."

"Say that after you've seen this, you creepy cook."

Emmy smiled as she turned her head towards the green haired swordsman, who came walking through on the other side of some large trees. He was holding the tail of a dinosaur but Emmy couldn't tell what type it was. All she knew was that trees behind Zoro were falling as he dragged his haul towards her.

"Hello, Zoro. It looks like you found a dinosaur too," she said.

"Ah," Zoro said with a smirk. When he got close enough, he dragged his find and rested it right by Sanji's, "I found a three sword style dinosaur."

"Three sword?" Emmy and Sanji asked as they examined his catch. It was a beige triceratops and it's body looked just as wide as the t-rex that the cook had felled.

"I win," Zoro and Sanji said at the same time, "WHAT?! I win! Stop copying what I'm saying!"

They both turned to look aver at Emmy, each expecting her to declare himself as the winner.

"Maybe move them so their heads start at the same place and then compare the tails?" Emmy suggested diplomatically.

"There's no point," Zoro said and he made a point to eye the dinosaur in Sanji's clutches, "His catch doesn't have much meat. It's all tendons and sinews."

"What? Your's is all bones! I can just tell by looking at it that there isn't much usable meat on it," Sanji snapped.

"Tch, if you're going to pick at the small stuff I'll just go find a super big one to shut you up."

"Please, I'd like to see you try," Sanji scoffed.

_Kaboom!_

The volcano out in the distance erupted once more and the cook nodded towards it. "The next volcano blast will be the end of the competition. Bring your find to the Going Merry by then."

"Sounds good to me," the swordsman said and then swiftly walked back to the path he had just cleared, abandoning his first contest entry.

"Idiot," Sanji scoffed as he headed back to the Going Merry with his t-rex still in hand, "I bet he'll get lost and not even make it back to the ship in time by the next volcano. Come on, Emmy-chan. I'll take you back to the ship."

Emmy patted the tiger's neck and he turned to follow Sanji. "You're going to keep your catch? You're not going to find a bigger one?"

"That's why I said he was an idiot," Sanji said, "I could still win with this if he shows up empty handed."

"Sanji...you're very smart," Emmy commented.

"Thank you, Little Lady."

It didn't take long for them to arrive back at the Going Merry. They were surprised that Usopp and Nami were not on the ship since they were adamant on staying on board when Emmy and Sanji first left.

"Gyagyaygyaygyagya!"

"Gababababababa!"

"Eh? What was that?" Sanji asked as two weird sounds echoed through the air, "Bird cries? Although, it sounded pretty vulgar and unappetizing."

"Didn't it sound like laughing?" Emmy asked as she and Sanji hauled the produce they had collected into the kitchen.

"Maybe," Sanji said and then he smiled at the first mate, "Would you like me to search for Luffy with you?"

"No, I don't want to keep you from your match with Zoro," Emmy said, "I'll put everything away and then I'll go look for him with with Sabertooth-san. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

"Another thing you and Luffy have in common," Sanji couldn't help but comment, "Your sense of optimism."

"Well, all the things that could go wrong with my life already has," Emmy said as she gave a small push to Sanji to get him out the door of his own kitchen, "I think it's about time I had some good luck. Now go already. I can handle myself."

* * *

By the time Emmy was done putting everything away and even swabbing the deck, the saber-toothed tiger was already fast asleep on the shore by the t-rex. Emmy placed her hands on her hips and frowned at the jungle ahead. She had figured at least Nami or Usopp would be back by now but no one had returned yet.

"I wonder if everyone is okay," Emmy said as she climbed down to the shore and walked towards the jungle.

The tiger woke up and perked his ears at Emmy, who smiled and handed him a handful of jerky. "Would you like to come with me, Sabertooth-san?"

The tiger yawned and then licked up the dried meats. Then it lowered itself so Emmy could climb on its back.

"Thank you, Sabertooth-san," she said as he let out another yawn and trudged into the jungle. She rubbed its ears for encouragement while looking around her for signs of her nakama.

As they walked, Emmy suddenly felt slightly drowsy despite being wide awake a few seconds before. She rubbed her eyes and then started to yawn just as the tiger did so too. Her mouth snapped shut and she looked curiously at her ride. _Are my powers coming back?_

Emmy closed her eyes and focused her mind inwards. She sensed the walls of her bonds beginning to sprout. She let the tiger roam around without any guidance as she patiently waited for her walls to get thicker and taller until finally the emotions were steady enough to be distinguishable. However, to Emmy's alarm, most of the walls were swaying with panic, frustration, and anger with only Sanji's normal wall of passion standing strong. Luffy's was the most cause of distress for Emmy since it was flashing randomly through different emotions like he was having some sort of mental breakdown. First he was angry, then happy, then unmotivated and it was all within minutes of each other.

"Sabertooth-san!" Emmy said, giving a light kick to the tiger's side, "Could you please hurry? My friends might be in trouble!"

The tiger looked back at her and blinked into her panicked eyes before letting out a snort and then dashing forward in a sudden burst of speed.

"Luffy! Usopp! Nami! Are you guys okay?" Emmy shouted but there was no reply, "Zoro! Luf-"

Suddenly, she saw a blur of yellow and a distinctly shaped nose whiz by. "Usopp?! Carue-san?!"

The duck skidded to a halt with the sniper on its back. They both looked like they had been through a large fire and they gaped at the first mate. Then their eyes fell on what she was sitting on and that freaked them out even more.

"AHHHHH!" Usopp cried while Carue shot off like a rocket.

"Usopp! Carue-san! Wait!" Emmy yelled as the tiger darted after them. Emmy wasn't entirely sure if he was doing it because that's what she wanted or because he wanted to eat the duck, "What's going on? What is-"

"Stop following us with that thing! It's going to eat us!" Usopp wailed, seeing the saliva gleam from the tiger's lips.

"But what's going on? Why do you look hurt?" Emmy called after them.

"Baroque Works. They're here! They were after Broggy-san and Dorry-san but now they're also targeting us!" Usopp cried, "Nami, Zoro, and Vivi are caught up in Mr. 3's candle trap and Luffy's in trouble too. He's acting all weird from this paint thing from Miss Goldenweek. We need to go help them except we're being chased by these other two Baroque Works agents."

"I'm not sure what you just said," Emmy admitted as she held tightly to the tiger's neck, "But if Luffy and everyone are in trouble, we need to go help."

"That's good enough for me," Usopp said as he and Carue took a sharp turn left, "Come on! We gotta get to Luffy so he can save the others."

Emmy bit her lip as they raced forward. _Please be okay, Luffy. Please be okay…._

They followed Carue and Usopp into a clearing and Emmy immediately pulled back on the tiger's neck to get him to stop.

"Feel Feel Pacify!" Emmy said to get the tiger to relax and not go after Carue.

Then she looked up from her ride and her eyes widened at the sight in front of her.

There was a solid white wax statue that resembled a three tier cake with a spinning bowl at the top. The bowl was rimmed with large lit wax candles and on the top tier of the "cake" was what looked to be Nami, Vivi, and Zoro with his sword stuck out in a heroic pose. However, they were all coated in the same material as the structure. Beside them was another structure shaped like a giant lying on its back with its hands and feet splayed out.

"What….what is that?" Emmy gasped as the tiger started to back up in fear as well, "And why do those figures look like Nami, Zoro, and Vivi?"

"Because that _is_ Nami, Zoro, and Vivi!" Usopp wailed, "If we don't get them out of there soon, they'll turn into permanent wax figures. We just need to get- AH! LUFFY! What the hell are you doing?!"

Emmy turned her head and her heart went cold. All thoughts about the previous night were wiped away completely. She felt her brother's emotional torment and that took precedence.

"Ahhh. This is...good...tea…" Luffy sighed as he sat on a picnic blanket with his back turned to her. In front of him was a little girl, who looked not much younger than Emmy. She had dark red hair that was tied into pigtails. She wore a large pink brimmed hat and a blue shirt with white clouds painted all over it.

"Luffy! This is not the time to drink tea!" Usopp yelled and then his eyes fell on the back of Luffy's shirt, which had a green mark painted on it, "Ah! It's the paint! Emmy! That girl is Miss Goldenweek! She's from Baroque Works. I don't know how but Luffy gets affected by the paint."

_Riiiiiiiip!_

Without another word, Emmy slid off the back of the tiger rushed over to Luffy and ripped off his vest in one swift tug. He turned to look at her, revealing that his face was covered in sweat.

"Emmy!" he gasped, "You're here!"

"Luffy! Are you awake?!" Usopp asked, "Have you come to your senses?"

"Yeah," Luffy said with a nod, "Whew. Thanks, Emmy. I-"

_Thwack!_

Wordlessly, Emmy pushed Luffy to the side just in time for Miss Goldenweek's yellow paintbrush to hit her right in the chest.

"Laughter Yellow," Miss Goldenweek said solemnly.

Emmy stared down at the paint and then looked back up at the girl without even the slightest twitch in her face.

"EH?" The girl's shocked expression matched that of Luffy's and Usopp's.

Emmy took that moment to grab the paintbrush from the girl with one hand while lifting up her other to bring half of Luffy's vest into view. The flickering of Luffy's emotions had stopped immediately after she had ripped off the vest. It was just as Usopp said.

"You toyed with Luffy's emotions," Emmy stated. Her voice was eerily quiet and reminded Usopp of an incoming thunderstorm, "You forced him to sit by and do nothing while his nakama's lives are in danger. You caused him pain..."

"Eek! Mr. 3! Help! Mr. 3!" Miss Goldenweek shrieked.

"Mr. 3...Baroque Works…" Emmy said, Usopp's words finally making sense, and then her cold eyes went back to the agent, "There's no use calling for your partner...You are going to pay for what you did to mine."

In a panic, Miss Goldenweek smashed her hand against her palette, grabbing whatever color she could and she smeared it over Emmy's apron. She waited for the girl to react, to do anything, except she didn't.

"Why...why aren't you feeling anything?!" Miss Goldenweek gasped.

Emmy smacked the palette right out of Miss Goldenweek's hands and then grabbed the girl by the collar.

"I ate the Feel-Feel fruit. I...feel...EVERYTHING!" Emmy cried and then swung her fist hard across the girl's face, knocking her unconscious and sending her flying into the jungle.

_Thwack!_

Emmy relaxed her stance and then hurriedly took off her apron. She didn't even take the time to properly fold it. She just balled it up into a wad and threw it on the ground.

"Much better," she sighed. The paint had tickled her and made her feel funny but it was nothing years of emotional oppression couldn't handle.

"Emmy! That was awesome!" Luffy cheered and ran over to his sister.

Emmy's looked at him, as if suddenly realizing his existence, and then her eyes flooded with tears when memories of the previous night returned with equal force. She felt his usual happiness. There was no anger at her. No frustration. Just pure joy for her presence, which made her feel that much worse.

She threw her hands around his neck and buried her head into his shoulder. "I'm sorry!" she cried, "I'm sorry for losing my temper yesterday. I was just so scared and I know I shouldn't be. I should trust you but I didn't yesterday and...and...and I was hurt when you didn't listen to what I had to say but...but...I know you would never...never intentionally…"

She started to hiccup as she babbled and it was getting harder and harder for her to say anything more until she felt Luffy's hand on the back of her head.

"Mmmmm….How troublesome," Luffy grumbled and Emmy's let out a little gasp at the flash of annoyance she felt from him.

She jerked back and to her surprise, instead of frowning at her, Luffy was glaring up at the sky and rubbing his chin with his free hand. "I always said I would kick the ass of whoever hurts you...but now that _I_ hurt you, does that mean I have to kick my own ass?"

His frown deepened as he thought long and hard about it. "Oh! _You_ can kick my ass, Emmy!"

"Eh?!"

"Just punch me one time. Like you did with that girl!" Luffy insisted as he grabbed Emmy's wrist and started to smack his own face with her limp hand, "Come on! You can do it. Just make a fist again and-"

"OY! You guys!" Usopp snapped and the two Monkeys turned to look at the sniper, who was pointing back at the wax sculpture, "Shouldn't we focus on _that_ first?!"

"Oh yeah…" Luffy said. HIs expression turned solemn at the reminder of his nakamas' state, "Emmy, take a break. I'll handle the rest."

 


	42. I am Okay.

"And then and then and then suddenly, BOOM! His insides exploded!" Luffy shouted, stretching out his arms for emphasis.

Emmy let in a startled gasp and looked over at the long bearded giant, who was grinning from ear to ear. "Dorry-san! Your insides exploded?!"

"Gegyagyagyagyagyagya!" Dorry laughed, sending birds flocking up into the skies.

Luffy, Emmy, Usopp, Nami, and Zoro were sitting around the picnic blanket Miss Goldenweek had laid out. Usopp had found a way to melt the wax structure using a rope soaked in oil and the flame from Mr. 3's actual head. Once Nami, VIvi, and Zoro were freed, they made short work of the other two Baroque Works agents, Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine.

Two giants, Dorry and Brogy, were also somehow involved in this, which Luffy was in the process of explaining to his sister. He started with his epic ride on the dinosaurs, which he found significant but no one else did.

"Yeah! It was from the alcohol that Usopp gave Broggy!" Luffy said.

"Oy! It wasn't because of me, though!" Usopp protested, spraying bits of rice crackers everywhere, "Mr. 5 tampered with the alcohol when we weren't looking so I didn't know it was going to explode."

Luffy's face turned green. "You don't think that snot guy put his snot in the barrel...did you?"

Everybody's face twisted in disgust at the thought. "Ew…." they murmured in unison.

"But why were they after Dorry-san and Brogy-san?" Emmy asked.

"Because of their bounties," Usopp said, cutting off Luffy completely, "Remember, Baroque Works is first and foremost a company of bounty hunters."

"Gabababababa," Brogy laughed, "It's been so long we've both forgotten that we had bounties on our heads."

Vivi's head lowered as she stood quietly next to Carue. "But...I was the reason they came to this island in the first place."

Nami reached over and pinched Vivi's cheek. "Let's have none of that!"

"Yeah," Luffy said with a grin and lifted up the bag of rice crackers to her, "What're you so down in the dumps for? Here! Have a rice cracker."

Vivi rubbed her aching cheek but kept her head low.

"No one here is blaming you for what had happened, Vivi-sama."

Vivi's head snapped up while the rest of the group looked anxiously at the first mate, who had reached into the bag. She pulled out a cracker and then held it out for the princess.

"There's enough for you to worry about in the present and future so don't dwell on the past," Emmy said, "So just let it go and eat a cracker."

"Miss Maid…" Vivi whispered as she tentatively took the cracker out of Emmy's hand and bit into it. Just as the savory taste hit her tongue, her stomach growled loudly. Her hand went to it and she giggled sheepishly, "I didn't even realize I was hungry."

"Eh? Did _you_ , Emmy?" Nami asked.

"Ooh! Does this mean your powers are all back, Emmy?" Luffy asked.

"Not fully...," Emmy said and then placed her hands on her hips, "Luffy! Sanji and I packed you and Vivi's lunch. Did you eat her share?"

"Well, she didn't want it!"

"Did you ask?" Emmy asked in a scolding tone, "Or did you just assume?"

"I-" Luffy started to say.

"Luffy?"

Luffy avoided his sister's gaze and then his lower lip jutted out. "I just assumed and ate her lunch." His eyes and finger shot over towards the long bearded giant. "But so did Dorry! He never had Sanji's bento before so I offered him some!"

"Wow! Luffy threw him right under the bus!" Usopp marvelled.

"Luffy!" Emmy said sharply, "If you're going to offer someone food, it should be your own. You have to be considerate of Vivi-sama. She is a guest on our ship and if she is a guest, then we must make her time with us as comfortable as possible!"

Luffy's pout got even bigger and he directed it at Vivi. "I'm sorry, Vivi...I didn't mean to take your food," he mumbled.

Vivi waved her hands in front of her. "No...no need to apologize, Luffy-san."

"Guest…on our ship?" Usopp murmured and he looked curiously at Emmy, "Does this mean you're okay with Vivi being on board now?"

"I don't trust her," Emmy said flatly and Vivi gulped but then Emmy let out a sigh, "But I trust my nakama. If everyone is okay with her...then I'm okay too."

"Yay! Emmy and Vivi are friends now!" Luffy cheered.

"There's a gaping hole in your logic!" Usopp snapped.

"Ah! Nami-swan! Vivi-chwan! Emmy-chwan! And you other bums! You're all okay. Thank goodness!"

"Sanji!" Emmy and Luffy shouted with a wave while everyone else on their crew glared at the approaching cook.

"That jerk suddenly shows up only _after_ we needed help," Usopp fumed and Carue quacked in agreement.

"AH! What the hell?!" Sanji's loving tone immediately turned serious and he rushed over towards Brogy and Dorry, "Is one of you Mr. 3?!"

"Eh? How do you know about Mr. 3?" Nami asked.

Hearts popped out of Sanji's eyes and he dropped the cigarette from his lips. "Nami-san! You in just a bikini top and skirt is very nice!"

Nami balled up a fist. "Wanna get slugged?"

Sanji was unfazed by her threat and he took off his jacket coat just to drape it over her shoulders. "Here, Nami-san. Don't want you to catch a cold."

"Oh, thanks," Nami said as Sanji went to go sit down on a log next to the napping sabertooth.

"I don't know what you guys have been doing," he sighed, "But I just finished talking with Mr. 0 via a Transponder Snail."

"What?!" everyone gasped.

Sanji smiled, fully expecting their reaction. "Yeah. I found this weird hideout in the jungle, you see. He seemed to think I was Mr. 3, so I told him I eliminated everyone."

"So that means he thinks we're dead?" Vivi asked.

Usopp leapt to his feet. "SO we're finally free of people chasing us!" he cheered but then immediately lost his enthusiasm. "...But we can't go anywhere."

"Can't go anywhere?" Sanji asked, "Do we still have business on this island?"

Sanji sighed and dug into his pockets. "After I managed to get ahold of this too…"

Everyone's jaws dropped at the sight of an Eternal Pose with the word ALABASTA engraved on the wooden top.

"What?" Sanji asked as Vivi rushed over and threw her arms around the cook.

"We can set sail now! Hurray!" Luffy cheered, grabbing Emmy's hands and twirling her around.

"Thank you, Sanji-san!" Vivi wept, "I was so worried there."

"Emmy! Everyone! Let's go back to the ship and have a rice cracker party!" Luffy commanded to his nakama and then turned to the two giants, "Alright, round old guy and giant old guy! We're gonna go now!"

Emmy bowed her head. "Thank you so much for your hospitality."

Brogy grinned. "You guys do seem to be in a hurry."

"That's too bad," Dorry added, "But we won't stop you. I hope your homeland is okay."

"Thank you," Vivi said.

"Well then, see ya!" Luffy cheered, "Don't die anymore!"

""Master! I will visit Elbaf someday!" Usopp promised.

"Please take care of yourself, Sabertooth-san," Emmy said as she gave the tiger one last rub behind the ears. He let out a yawn and then licked her face. Then he sauntered over towards the giants and plopped down next to their feet to continue sleeping.

"Oh, I think it likes me. Gegyagyagyagya," Dorry laughed.

"What are you talking about? It clearly is sleeping closer to me. It's me that it likes," Brogy countered.

The crew left the giants to their argument and made their way back to the Going Merry. Although, to Emmy, it felt like Brogy and Dorry's bickering was carried through to Zoro and Sanji. They kept squabbling about who caught the biggest prey all the way to the ship. Even when everyone else came aboard, they stayed on the shore and insisted that Emmy declare a winner.

"Emmy! You don't have to worry about hurting this stupid cook's feelings. Just admit that my rhino is clearly bigger," Zoro shouted.

"Emmy-chan is clearly considering _your_ feelings, you idiot," Sanji barked back, "My lizard is the clear winner."

"Oh dear…" Emmy said as she wrung the ends of her apron in her hands. In all honesty, she couldn't tell which was bigger. If she did, she would've stated it just so they could literally move on, "They're both the same size."

"And they both look yummy," Luffy grinned.

"You shut up!" Zoro and Sanji snapped in unison at the captain.

"Can't we call it a tie?" Emmy asked.

"There are no ties in competition," Zoro said.

"HURRY IT UP!" Nami roared, finally sick of the whole ordeal and annoyed that she, Usopp, and Vivi were left to get the ship ready to set sail.

Quickly, Zoro and Sanji leapt into action. Zoro started to raise the anchor while Sanji dutifully chopped up precise cuts of meat from both dinosaurs and brought them onto the ship. Soon, the Going Merry sailed down the river and towards the ocean.

"Oh look!" Luffy shouted when they were approaching the river's opening, "It's the two old guys! They came to see us off!"

The two giants stood on each side of the river bank and faced the vast sea. Their cloaks flapped in the wind but they stood tall and firm, like two unmovable mountains.

"A great obstacle lies ahead," Brogy said with his eyes forward.

"It prevents people who come to this island from reaching the next," Dorry added, "You fought desperately to protect our pride."

"As such, no matter what enemy there may be…" Brogy said.

Dorry broke into a large smile. "We will not let them destroy your pride, friends."

"Have faith in us and continue straight ahead!" Brogy shouted, grinning from ear to ear, "Straight ahead, no matter what happens!"

"Got it!" Luffy replied, matching his volume to that of the giants'.

The two giants withdrew their rusted weapons just as the Merry touched the open sea. They both lowered their heads to look at the pirates one last time.

"This is farewell," Brogy said and then moved his eyes to the horizon.

"Let's meet again someday," Dorry added and followed suit.

The water in front of them began to swell. Something large was surfacing up to the water and it was making it's way towards the Going Merry.

"Everyone, look!" Nami cried.

"There you are, Island Eater!" Dorry roared.

"I-I-Island what?!" Vivi gasped.

"In the name of Elbaf, you _will_ open a path!" Brogy shouted.

The two giants raised their weapons and let out an earth shaking war cry. "Raaaaaah!"

"AHHHHHHH!" the passengers on the Going Merry responded with a cry of their own with abundantly more fear. The Island Eater emerged from the water, revealing itself to be a goldfish-like creature the size of an Island itself.

"What is that? A giant goldfish?" Luffy asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Work the rudder! Hurry! We're going to get eaten!" Nami exclaimed, "Go! Usopp!"

Usopp gulped. "No!" he shouted and clenched his fist in front of his face, "I can't! Go straight ahead. R-right, Luffy?!"

Luffy nodded and grinned at his sniper. "Yep!" Then, he flashed the same smile to his first mate. He stretched out his hand but instead of grabbing Emmy by the wrist like he usually did, he let it hang in front of her. "Emmy. We're going to Alabasta and bringing Vivi back to her family but I'll keep you safe. I promise! So don't be scared anymore, okay?"

"Luffy…" Emmy whispered. This was his apology and she felt it. She took his hand and nodded, "Okay."

"Yosh!" Luffy snapped his arm back to normal, pulling Emmy with it. She stood by his side while the Island Eater opened up it's massive jaws. The Island Eater did nothing, allowing the waves and wind to push the Going Merry towards it.

"Don't be stupid!" Nami cried, "This won't be like what happened with Laboon!"

Emmy looked up as the roof of the Island Eater's mouth was beginning to block out her view of the sky. "I think Laboon-san might have more teeth."

"Oooh," Luffy said as he took a look himself, "Do you think that flower head doctor brushes it for him?"

"Maybe," she murmured wondrously, "Dental hygiene is very important and as a doctor, Crocus-san should be fully aware of it."

"Is that really what you guys should be thinking about, right now?!" Vivi exclaimed.

"It's too late," Nami moaned. She sank to her knees and held her head in her hands, "We're getting swallowed. This is the end!"

It got darker and darker as the waves beneath got more and more violent. Gradually, the Island Eater closed it's mouth and nothing could be seen on the decks of the Going Merry.

"Straight ahead! Straight ahead!" Usopp cried and even without sight and her full powers, Emmy could sense the fear in his voice alone.

"What are you talking about?! We're already eaten!" Nami seethed.

"Straight ahead! Straight ahead!" Luffy agreed.

Suddenly, two beams of light, one red and one blue, came blasting from behind. It swirled around each other like a horizontal tornado and struck right through the Going Merry. The force propelled the caravel right out of the water. The lights continued forward until condensing and bursting into a blinding light. Instinctively, Emmy closed her eyes and pressed her face against Luffy's shoulder.

"Whoa! Look! Emmy!" Luffy shouted, "We're flying out of it!"

"Eh?" Emmy peeked out and she gasped when she saw that the light had pierced right through the Island Eater's stomach and they were sailing in the air, hovering high up above the water.

"Don't look back! Straight ahead!" Luffy cheered.

"They...cut...the very sea itself!" Usopp wept, "This is the strength of the Elbaf Warrior! Amazing."

"Friends!" they heard the giants' roar from behind, "Onwards!"

"Gegyagyagyagyagya!"

"Gebababababababa!"

Emmy kept her back towards Little Garden but she closed her eyes to hear the fading sounds of their laughter. "How wonderful..."

"That's right! Master is truly a magnificent warrior! Someday, I'll go to Elbaf! To the village of warriors!" Usopp proclaimed.

"That's right! Elbaf-baf! Elbaf-baf!" Luffy cheered, throwing his arm over Usopp's shoulders and kicking his legs in the air.

"It's not that…" Emmy said, "I just think how wonderful it is that those two can now laugh together despite fighting each other for a century."

"Yosh! Emmy, let's duel for a hundred years and then laugh about it later," Luffy cried.

"That is entirely not her point!" Usopp snapped and smacked Luffy on the shoulder.

Emmy giggled at the pair but then she stopped short. She blinked at nothing in particular for a moment before she walked over to the navigator, who was leaning against the mast while sitting on the deck.

"Nami? Is something wrong?" Emmy asked.

"No. I just feel a little tired," Nami sighed and then she smiled apologetically at the first mate, "Sorry. Did I make you feel that?"

"No...Actually, it's our bond...Your wall is lower than everyone else's," Emmy said, "So I guess i can also tell how energetic everyone's feeling."

"Than those two must have walls as tall as mountains," Nami quipped. She pointed over at the captain and the sniper, who had resumed their can-can dance and Elbaf chant.

"It's natural to feel exhausted after the day we had," Vivi said as she knelt by Nami, "You should rest if you'd like, Nami-san."

"Thanks...Vivi, could you watch the compass for me?" Nami asked and she handed the princess the Eternal Pose.

"Me?" Vivi asked and glanced worriedly at Emmy.

"I'm no good with navigation and I have other duties to perform," Emmy said. She gave a polite nod to Vivi and Nami before smoothing her apron and headed down to the lower decks.

When she got to the boys' room, she took off her apron and held it up to the light. The parts that weren't covered in paint was frayed to the point that she could practically see right through it.

"Another apron ruined," Emmy sighed as she emptied it's pockets, putting the deck of cards on the table and her headband back on her head. Then she folded the apron and placed it on the table.

She put on a fresh new apron and got out a pair of scissors. She was in the middle of cutting up her old apron, to convert it into a dust rag, when she heard a scream from upstairs.

"Everyone, come here! This is bad!"

Emmy grabbed her deck of cards and rushed upstairs. When she was about to open the hatch that led to the upper deck, a sudden force slammed it closed.

"Emmy! Stay down there," Zoro's voice ordered through the wood.

"Eh? What's going on?" Emmy asked, "What happened?"

"Nami's sick," Zoro said, "Stay away or else you're going to feel the symptoms too."


	43. I am Not Good with Words.

"What? Nami is sick? How did I not feel it?"

Emmy took her headband off and saw all her bonds rise up in alarm and energy, except for Nami's, which was significantly lower than before and continuing to dwindle. Emmy closed her eyes and tried to focus on Nami's wall but she wasn't getting anything except fleeting feelings that vanished like a breath.

_Thunk! Thunk!_

Too hard stomps from above snapped Emmy back to reality.

"Oy! Emmy! They're gonna bring her downstairs to her room. Go into our room and stay there," Zoro ordered.

"But-" Emmy started to protest.

"Go, Emmy!" Luffy interrupted. The panic and urgency in his voice pushed away her hesitancy. She retreated to the boys' room and sat at the edge of the couch, too anxious and too guilt ridden to even pick up where she left off with her old apron.

_How could I have missed it? Even if my bonds are just pure emotions, I should've felt her getting sick. Is it because my powers haven't fully returned? Is it because I overdid it at Whiskey Peak? I should've caught it...Of all people to know when someone is not feeling well, it should be me...It should be-_

"Miss Maid?"

"Ah!" Emmy was startled by the sudden intrusion of the princess, which in turn, frightened the princess.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you!" Vivi cried.

Emmy shot up from her seat. "No, not at all. I was too lost in my thoughts I didn't even know you came into the room. Apologies for frightening you, Vivi-sama. What can I do for you?"

"Luffy-san said besides Nami-san, you had some basic medical knowledge. I was wondering if you could tell me what to do since Sanji-san and Luffy-san insisted that you stay away from Nami-san."

That did not sit well with Emmy and she did the exact opposite. She marched into the bedroom, where Usopp, Sanji, and Luffy were screaming and crying while Nami rested in her bed with a damp towel on her head. Even Carue was freaking out and running around the room and squawking. Emmy took one step into the room and could feel the temperature start to rise along her neck to her head.

"Nami's going to die! Emmy! Nami's going to die!" Luffy wailed.

"Save her! SAVE HER!" Usopp screamed.

"No! Emmy-chan, you need to stay away or else-" Sanji protested.

"Luffy! Sanji! Usopp! Carue!" Emmy shouted sternly and immediately the three of them clamped their mouths shut, "Stop your crying and panicking this instant. The first and foremost thing we need to do is create a stable and calm environment for Nami to rest or else she's never going to get better. Are we clear?"

"Yes, ma'am!" they said in unison with Usopp, Carue, and Luffy even giving Emmy a salute.

Emmy nodded and felt sweat drip down the side of her face. She walked to Nami's bedside and knelt down next to the navigator. Emmy took Nami's hand and closed her eyes, concentrating on feeling everything the navigator was. "Nami has a fever and is light headed with slight nausea and extreme fatigue," Emmy reported, "The cloth needs changing. It doesn't feel cool anymore to Nami."

"Eh? Already? We just put it on her," Vivi gasped.

"Can you save her?!" Usopp cried.

"I'm not a doctor," Emmy said defeatedly, "All we can do is try to treat her symptoms and see if it works. Sanji, could you make something based on the symptoms I just said? Best in soup form, please. I don't know if she has the energy to chew."

"Yes, Emmy-chan. I'll try my best," Sanji said.

"Vivi-sama, how far away is Alabasta? Are there doctors there Nami can see immediately?" Emmy asked.

"I don't know for sure but it'll take more than a week to get to Alabasta," Vivi replied. Their eyes met and instantly, they knew they were thinking the exact same thing. Nami most likely wouldn't survive a week without medical attention.

"Er...is getting sick really that bad?" Luffy asked.

"Dunno...I've never been sick," Usopp and Sanji both admitted in unison.

"Who in the world _are_ you guys?!" Vivi snapped and then looked at Emmy for help but to her surprise the first mate looked sheepishly back at her.

"I've only felt other people's symptoms but they are gone once I get far enough away from them so...I wouldn't actually know either," Emmy confessed. She then straightened up and smoothed out her apron, "But I do know that Nami's is the most sick I've ever felt from a person."

Luffy, Usopp, and Carue's mouths were only starting to open when Emmy pointed a finger in their direction.

"Didn't I say to stop panicking?!" Emmy said as she withdrew her hand to put it to her own head to steady it, "Nami needs her rest. Yelling and running won't help anything."

"Everyone just calm down. We'll stop at the nearest island we come across and find a doctor," Vivi said.

"...No…"

Everyone's heads all flipped towards the navigator, whose eyes were barely open and directed at the princess.

"No," Nami repeated as she sat up from her bed, causing a wave of nausea for both her and Emmy.

"Ooh! Nami's all better," Luffy cheered.

"Get real!" Usopp shouted, giving the captain a hard smack.

"In my desk drawer...there's a...newspaper," Nami rasped.

"The cure for Nami is in the newspaper!" Luffy shouted, racing to Nami's desk and practically ripping the drawer out of it's place. He sent newspaper clippings, half drawn maps, and blank pieces of paper flying all around the room.

_Thwack!_

Emmy punched Luffy hard on the top of his head, not even caring that the pressure she felt provoked her own headache. "Please be more delicate with Nami's stuff. This is her room and she is not feeling well."

"N...No! That can't be!" Vivi gasped. She had picked up the largest article that had fallen close to her feet and the headlines had shocked her to the core.

"What's the matter?" Luffy asked.

"Is it about Alabasta, Vivi-chan?" Sanji asked.

"300,000 royal soldiers defected to the Resistance in Alabasta…" Vivi read faintly, "It was originally a cold war with 600,000 royal soldiers and 400,000 Resistance soldiers but now with this change, the tides have turned towards the Resistance."

"The uprising in Alabasta is finally going to get serious now," Nami said shakily from her bed, "That paper's from three days ago...I'm sorry. We couldn't change our speed so I didn't want to worry you by showing you that. Do you understand what this means, Luffy?"

Luffy crossed his arms and thought hard. "Things...are bad right now."

"Whew. That got through to you more than I expected," Nami breathed.

"But you need to see a doctor!" Usopp said.

"I'm fine. That thermometer must be broken," Nami said with a weak smile, "Nobody gets a temperature of 40 degrees. It's probably just sunstroke or something. We don't need a doctor."

Nami got up to her feet and got out of bed. "I'll be fine on my own. For now, let's just head towards Alabasta like we originally planned." She made her way up the stairs and out of the room.

"Oh, she's all better!" Luffy cheered.

"She's just trying to tough it out," Usopp corrected.

Emmy turned to look at the princess, who was still clutching the newspaper in her hands. "At this rate," Vivi said, "So much blood will be shed throughout the kingdom. It'll be an all-out war. If I don't stop that, the Alabasta Kingdom will die and Crocodile will take over with Baroque Works."

She balled up the paper out of sheer frustration. "I don't need to just return safely now...I need to return as quickly as possible! If I don't make it in time, a million citizens will kill themselves pointlessly!"

"There's a million people?!" Luffy cried.

Suddenly, the burden that Emmy consistently felt on the princess' shoulders became abundantly clear. The profuse concern and worry that came out of Vivi now had a reason behind it. She was carrying the responsibility for a million people. Citizens. Not Nobles. "Vivi-sama…"

"OY! You guys! Get out here! We've got work to do!" Zoro barked from upstairs.

"Huh?" The pirates clamored outside, leaving the princess and her duck alone with the paper, and met the frown of the swordsman, who held his large dumbbell in one hand.

"What's wrong, Zoro?" Emmy asked.

"Take the seat and catch the portside wind," Zoro said.

"What's going on, Nami-san? The waves are quiet and the weather's nice...Why are we changing the sails?" Sanji asked. The navigator was leaning over the railing and looking out the portside.

"An immense wind is coming…" Nami said, "It's...coming this way...That's why-"

_Thwack!_

She turned around and smacked her head right into Luffy's palm. The captain frowned and kept his hand there until an unmistakable sizzling sound came from their point of contact.

"AHHHH! Hot!" Luffy shrieked, jerking his hand back, "Your head is so hot! Yeah. You need to stay inside the ship. Let's go to a doctor!"

"Mind your own business! This is my own normal temperature. Now quit being stupid and pull the ropes," Nami shouted back and then steadied herself on the railing.

"Nami-san...I know you're concerned about Vivi-chan, but if you push too hard…" Sanji tried.

"I told you, I'm fine!" Nami snapped.

"But Nami-" Usopp chimed in.

"Everyone, you heard what the navigator said!" Emmy suddenly cried out as she walked up to where the navigator stood, "Sick or not sick, if there's something the navigator thinks is coming, we need to listen. MOVE IT!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Usopp, Sanji, and Luffy shouted as they scuttled to their stations.

"Tha...thank you, Emmy," Nami breathed. She leaned her elbows against the railing and buried her head into her hands.

"You are sick and you need a doctor," Emmy stated, "You can't deny it. Not to me. I know how you're feeling."

Emmy reached out her hand and Nami took a step back away from her. "Emmy...Don't you dare put your Repose thing on me. Don't you dare put me to sleep and-"

Nami stopped short when Emmy's hand reached down to take hers. "I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do," Emmy said and gave Nami's hand a squeeze, "But don't force yourself too much as well. After the ship is turned, can you promise me you'll get some rest? Even if it's just for a little bit?"

"Eh?"

Emmy smiled softly at the navigator. "LIke I said...I know how you're feeling...and you want genuinely want to help Vivi-sama so I'll honor it if that is your wish. But please don't think you have to do this all on your own. You can lean on us. I can bring some blankets and pillows out and you can sleep on the deck during the day when it's nice out. Usopp and Sanji are pretty good with reading the compass so they can handle the Eternal Pose from time to time."

"Thank...you, Emmy," Nami said.

"We really need a doctor on our crew," Emmy sighed.

"Yeah, that would save us a lot of headaches," Nami agreed.

Emmy giggled. "Pun intended?"

"Of course not," Nami groaned, "My head hurts too much for me to even think about being witty."

"Nami! The sails are ready!" Luffy shouted as he ran back to the center of the deck.

"Yep and the ship is almost fully turned!" Sanji reported.

The hatch opened from the lower deck and Vivi came through. "Everyone...I know it's not my place to ask as a passenger on your ship, but my homeland is in a terrible state now so I'd like to hurry ahead! We can't waste even a single minute so I want this ship to head for Alabasta at the fastest speed!" she demanded.

Emmy's hand squeezed Nami's a little harder. _This is what Nami wants...I need to respect her choice...This is what Nami wants…_ , Emmy chanted to herself.

"Of course," Nami said through a weak smile, "That's what we promised!"

Emmy's head lowered, unable to look at anyone in the eye. She didn't know how everyone else was feeling but she, herself, was too frustrated at the given situation. She could see where the princess was coming from but she still didn't like it. She was starting to second guess her decision of giving Vivi the benefit of her doubt.

"So let's find an island with a doctor on it, right away!"

If Emmy's headband was off and her powers were in full, she might've felt at least four necks cracking with how fast the heads turned to gape at the princess.

"Let's cure Nami-san as quickly as possible and then go to Alabasta!" Vivi shouted, "That's the ship's fastest speed, right?"

Luffy's mouth stretched into a grin. "Yeah! We can't go any faster than that!"

"Are you sure? As their princess, you should be worried about your million of citizens," Usopp said.

"That's why we have to hurry up and cure Nami-san's illness as quickly as possible!" Vivi said.

"Well-said, Vivi-chan! I've fallen for you all over again," Sanji swooned from the deck.

Even the hardened swordsman let out a smirk. "You've got guts."

"Thanks…Vivi," Nami breathed as she stumbled forward. Vivi quickly grabbed her arm while Emmy grabbed her other and the two girls steadied the navigator.

Emmy looked at Vivi over Nami's head and for the first time in Emmy's life, she smiled genuinely at a person with noble blood.

"WHAT IS THAT?!" Luffy's sudden cry grabbed their attention and they looked over the back of the ship where an enormous grey cyclone had appeared right where they ship was originally headed towards.

"It would've been a direct hit if we went that way!" Usopp screeched as thunder blasted out from the darkened skies.

"Yikes! We just barely made it through!" Luffy yelped, "Alright! Let's head off to find a doctor!"

"Yosh!" his nakama and the princess yelled back.

* * *

Sanji stood frowning over the pile of mysterious fruits and vegetables that they had gathered from Little Garden while holding up his thick encyclopedia of known and edible produce. "So this…" he murmured to himself as he eyed a green spiky fruit at the top of the pile, "Is only edible after being boiled for 30 minutes and then it has a texture similar to a potato."

Night had fallen and almost everyone on teh ship had gone to sleep, save for Usopp, who was on night watch, Vivi, who was up taking care of Nami, and Sanji, who was too worried about the state of the navigator to fall asleep. Thus, he chose what any normal cook would do when in need of stress relief. He chose to organize his kitchen.

His eyes moved back to the page. "Good for the bones and-"

"Sanji?"

A hand on his back broke his focus and he turned around to see Emmy standing behind him with a piece of paper in one hand and a pen in the other. She also had a basket dangling from her arm but there was a white handkerchief draped over the top so Sanji couldn't see the contents.

He snapped his book shut. "Emmy-chan. I didn't realize you were still awake."

Emmy bit her lip. "I was…wondering if you could help me...um...help me…" Her voice trailed off and she looked down at her feet.

"Of course I can help you, Emmy-chan," Sanji said gently, "I'm happy to help in anyway that I can."

"Do you know how to...write…?"

"Write?" Sanji asked.

Emmy nodded and held out the paper and pen for Sanji. "Vivi-sama's name, that is," Emmy said.

"Eh?"

Emmy's cheeks turned red and she set the paper and pen down on the dining table. Then she took off the handkerchief from the basket and revealed that inside the basket was a bar of purple soap, a shower brush, and three towels that were rolled up to look like rabbits. They even had one ear folded down, which made the other ears look like they were waving at Sanji.

"I...I made this for Vivi-sama...to thank her for helping Nami-san...and...and to...welcome her onto the Going Merry...and to...help her relax and not worry so much," Emmy said shyly, "And I want to write her a card to tell her that but...I'm not good with words and….I don't know how to spell her name..."

Sanji smoothly pulled up a chair directly facing Emmy. He sat down on it and leaned his head against his hand. "Emmy-chan," he said with a warm smile, staring at the girl for a moment before lifting his head and picking up the pen. He moved the paper in front of him, "How about you tell me what you want to say and I'll help you write it."

"Really?" Emmy asked.

Sanji nodded.

"Thank you, Sanji!"

"Now...what do you want to say?" Sanji asked with his pen at the ready.

"Dear...Vivi-sama," Emmy said. She straightened up her back and closed her eyes, imagining what she would say in person, "This gift is to show you how much I appreciate what you did for Nami…"

"Dear Vivi-sama, please accept this token of gratitude for helping out Nami," Sanji wrote and he looked up at the first mate, "Good?"

Emmy smiled. "Yes!"

"Okay, Emmy-chan. What else?" Sanji asked.

* * *

"...Please accept this token of gratitude for helping out Nami. This gift is also my way of welcoming you on the Going Merry. Merry-san is my home and I hope that you will feel as comfortable in it as you do in yours. Sincerely, Monkey D. Emmy," Vivi read.

The princess smiled at the basket that was waiting for her when she was about to brush her teeth in the morning. She folded up the card in her hand and then picked up the bar of soap. She inhaled its scent and she smiled against the waxy bar. It smelled of lavender and pine, reminding Vivi of a grassy meadow.

"Emmy-san," Vivi whispered to herself, "I already do."


	44. I am Perfectly Sane.

**Ch 44 - I am Perfectly Sane.**

The snow caught steadily in Emmy's beanie and it crunched under her feet as she moved around the deck. She was busy scooping up handfuls of clean snow and packing them into tight snowballs that were then placed into a metal bucket. The bucket was only halfway full but that seemed to satisfy the first mate.

"Zoro, I'm going back inside," she called up to the swordsman, who was on lookout duty up in the crow's nest, "Do you need anything? Another blanket maybe?"

"I'm good. Thanks for offering," he shouted back with his eyes glued to the telescope for signs of an island.

Emmy lifted the bucket up by it's thin tin handle and trudged over to the door. She stopped short just inches from the door and then she took a step back just as it flung open, missing her just by a few inches. Luffy and Usopp stood under the frame with the former eyeing the contents of her bucket.

Her powers had fully returned and her headband was off. After some discussion with the everyone, it was agreed that it was safe for Emmy to rely on her bonds while they were out at sea and only necessary for her to wear her headband when they reach a new island.

Luffy was bursting with childlike exuberance, which was what Emmy had felt through the door. He reached over towards the bucket. "Ooh! Snowball fight!"

Emmy took another step back and lightly smacked her brother's hand away. "No," she said, "I'm using these to make cold compresses for Nami. This is not the time to play."

"Awww," Luffy pouted.

A harsh wind blew across the deck and sent shivers down Usopp and Emmy's spine. She tightened the cloak around her shoulders and then frowned at Luffy, who was still in his red vest and shorts. Usopp, on the other hand, was already prepared with a faded red jacket and thick leather gloves.

"Luffy, please go put a coat on. The last thing we need is for you to get sick too," Emmy said.

"Why?" Luffy asked. There was a pause and then suddenly, his whole body began to shake and he turned a little blue, "Ah. It's cold!"

"You just realized?!" Usopp asked.

Emmy smiled and brushed past the two boys towards the lower deck. "I'll go grab a jacket for you, Luffy."

"Thanks, Emmy!" Luffy said, already running around the snowy deck with his arms and mouth spread wide, "Snow! I love snow!"

When she entered the girls' room, Emmy gave a polite nod to Vivi, who was dutifully watching over a sleeping Nami.

"Emmy-chan, what do you have there?" Sanji asked. He was leaning up against Nami's bookshelf with his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"I brought some snow," Emmy said and set down the bucket next to Vivi's side.

The navigator's exhausted state combined with the princess' overwhelming sense of responsibility made it fairly difficult for the first mate to stand close to them even with her bonds. Everything just felt heavy but Emmy was not going to let that stop her for being helpful. She was used to grinning and bearing for much worse conditions and for less deserving people.

The first mate pulled out a handful of sewed up drawstring pouches from her apron pocket and placed it next to the bucket. She took the first pouch from the stack as well as a snowball from the bucket and fit it into the pouch. She closed it up and handed it to Vivi. "This might help Nami's fever, Vivi-sama. There's enough snowballs and pouches here to last you a couple of hours. I can bring more later."

"Thank you, Emmy-san," Vivi said with a smile and then replaced Nami's damp towel on her forehead with the Emmy's snow pouch.

Emmy frowned at the state of the navigator. "Her fever isn't going down, is it?"

"Yes, but it's stopped going up," the princess said with a weak smile, "So that's something too, isn't it?"

Emmy nodded and returned the smile. "Yes. That is something, Vivi-sa-"

She stopped herself in mid-sentence and she looked up at the ceiling in the direction of the crow's nest. "Zoro...is confused," Emmy murmured as she deciphered the sudden change in her bonds, "I think he sees something."

She rushed out of the room but not before turning and giving Sanji and Vivi a bow. "Please, you two stay here and look after Nami. I'll go see what Zoro has found."

"Shout if you need me to take over the watch, Emmy-chan," Sanji said, "I bet that stupid idiot just followed the wrong cloud again and we're back in the same spot as yesterday."

"Okay," Emmy said with a nod and ran up the stairs. Just as she was about to open the door to get outside, the floor lurched backwards and flung her down the stairs. "Oh no!'

Emmy rolled down the steps as the ship rocked violently back and forth. She fell back into the room. Sanji's arms were full with trying to keep Nami's furniture from toppling over Emmy and Vivi while the princess had flung her body over Nami's to pin the navigator to her bed.

"Ah! Emmy-chan!" Sanji cried.

"I'm okay," Emmy said feeling the bumps and aches around her head and body already beginning to fade. She grabbed onto the railing of the stairs to keep herself from being tossed again.

"What's going on?! Why are we shaking?" Vivi asked.

"Damn it! Those idiots better hold onto the rudder. If anything happens to Nami-san, I'll gut them all!" Sanji seethed.

The ship's movements were getting gentler and it was enough for Emmy to pull herself up the stairs using the railing. "I'll go look!" she said, "You two stay here and keep Nami safe."

Emmy reached the upper deck just as the ship finally stilled. She froze just outside of the door and saw what had caused such alarm in the captain, the sniper, and the swordsman.

A ship, the size of a small island, was facing them head on. It's hippo shaped figurehead loomed over the Going Merry and casted a dark shadow over her. There were large metal gears attached to the side of the ship and metal plating all around the ship itself.

A flag was raised at the top of the sails and the black fabric floated in the wind, revealing it's jolly roger of a crowned skull with a tongue sticking out of it's studded teeth.

"A pirate ship?" Emmy gasped.

"Emmy! Get your headband on!" Zoro shouted from the crow's nest, "They have enough people on there to fit a whole island."

"W-W-Wow!" Luffy breathed while Emmy reached a slightly different conclusion and she ignored the swordsman's command.

"Does this mean they'll have a doctor on board?! That many people...There _has_ to be a doctor!"

"I don't think they're friendly," Usopp gulped.

"But you always think that…" Emmy pointed out.

"T-T-True…" Usopp stammered.

"Wahahahaha!" a grating laugh exploded from the speaker system of the gigantic pirate ship, "Did our jumbo underwater raid ship, the Tin Tyrant, surprise you?"

"Please! We're in need of a doctor. Do you have one on board?!" Emmy asked, rushing to the front of the ship and calling out to the unidentified voice.

She didn't get a response. Instead, the jaws of the hippo figurehead opened and a long ladder was extended out. As soon as the ladder touched the deck of the Going Merry, streams of men came running down with rifles in hand. They all were military-like green jackets that were lined with fur. They wore matching winter hats and pants as well. They surrounded Emmy and each of her nakama, including Zoro up in the crow's nest.

Then a large, boxy man brushed past Emmy and she instantly got her answer. The feeling of cold cruelty with empowered entitlement was unshakable. This was the man in charge and he was undeniably a Noble. There was no way he was going to help them in any way.

Her legs trembled from under her cloak and dress but Emmy kept her face blank and steady. If she reacted, it might as well be pulling the trigger for Luffy. If there was to be a fight, she was not going to be the one who instigated it.

The sounds of approaching footsteps broke through the tense silence and then the cook appeared at the door. "Oy! What's going on?!"

He stilled for just a moment. Then he fitted a cigarette to his lips and lit a match with a smooth swish of his wrist. He brought the flame to his smoke and gave a few puffs before he flicked the match into the sea. "Emmy-chan," he said in a long, drawn out tone, "Why didn't you call for me?"

"Sorry, Sanji," Emmy replied with a small smile, "They came on board before I could react."

"I figured as much," Sanji sighed.

Hard metal clashed together and it was followed by the noise of loud slurping. The Noble stood by the railing glaring at everyone while chomping away on a hamhock that was speared through a dagger.

The Noble was more of a square shape overall than anything else. His lower jaw reminded Emmy of her bucket. It was cylindrical and both his upper and lower lip seemed to be encased in metal. He had bolts along his lips, which matched the jolly roger on his ship. He wore a metal plated jacket and draped a white cloak over it with the hood resembling that of a hippo.

"Are you really pirates?" he growled while munching on his meal, "You're strange. Is it just you five?"

_Crunch!_

He chomped straight through his blade continued to chew on it as if it was the same consistency as the ham.

"I find it hard to believe…"

_Crunch!_

He spoke with his mouthful so every time he paused, it was followed by the sounds of sharp metal breaking. "That a pirate group would only have five people."

_Crunch!_

Emmy recoiled from the Noble's weird eating display. According to her bonds, her nakama were feeling the same thing too.

"What's with this guy? He even ate the knife!" Luffy said with a grimace.

"Bleh," Usopp gagged, "Just watching hurts."

"No matter," the Noble grunted, "I'll just ask this...We want to go to Drum Kingdom. Do you happen to have an Eternal Pose or Log Pose?"

"Nope," Sanji said without any hesitation, "Never even heard of the place."

"What about you? Do you have a doc-" Luffy started to ask.

"Luffy!" Emmy called out. She turned to her brother and shook her head. _He won't help._

"I see," Luffy said, lowering his hat over his eyes. "Alright then. Since we don't have what you want, you're done, right? So leave! We're in a hurry so we don't have time to mess with you."

"Don't rush in life. You gotta take it easy," the Noble said and tossed the rest of his dagger into his mouth, making his audience wince a little. He gulped down his snack and shrugged, "Well, since you don't have either, I guess I'll just take your treasure and take your ship."

"What?!" Luffy cried.

The Noble grinned. "But first, I'm a little hungry."

_Chomp!_

Without warning, his jaws expanded to the size of his whole body and they clamped over a corner of the Merry's railing.

"AH!" Sanji and Usopp gasped.

_Oh no!_

Emmy was startled when a light, airy voice appeared in her head. She looked around for the source but she couldn't see anyone on the deck who could produce that cry. Everyone on deck were male and the voice was distinctly not.

_Crunch!_

The Noble tore off a whole chunk of wood and he gobbled it up like it was just a slab of meat.

_Ah!_

"Who is that? Who's hurt?" Emmy shouted, trying to look past all the rifles and green jackets.

"Eh? Is someone hurt, Emmy-chan?" Sanji asked.

"Don't eat our ship!" Luffy exclaimed, to furious at the Noble's vandalism to be hear his sister's outburst.

However, Emmy heard her brother and at that moment, she realized who had cried out to her. _Merry-san! Was that...you?!_

"Hold it right there!" one of the green jackets near Luffy warned as he clicked the safety off his rifle, "Wapol-sama is currently eating!"

"Stop it!" Emmy cried and then looked to her brother, "Luffy! Stop him! He's hurting Merry-san!"

"I got it!" Luffy said and swiftly cleared out the men around him with just one swing of his extended arm.

"Damn that bastard. Fire!" Wapol's men shouted.

Zoro smirked and Sanji pulled off the scarf around his neck. "Should've done this from the very start," the swordsman said.

"Oh? We can have at 'em?" Sanji grinned.

Gunfire exploded from all around the ship. The sniper scrambled behind the mast for cover while the bullets peppered the deck and splintered the wood.

_Help, Little Miss!_

This time, Emmy had no doubt that the voice was from Merry-san. She was in danger. Her home was in danger.

Emmy could feel bullets shooting into her side and grazing her arms and legs but she did not move. She lifted her hand. "Feel Feel Paralytics!"

Her heart shaped mist blasted out from her, engulfing the men around her.

_Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank!_

One by one, the men around her fell to the ground and their weapons rolled to the side. The range was a lot wider than her time at Whiskey Peak but Emmy didn't have time or the want to consider why that was.

"Feel Feel Push!" Emmy shouted and pushed away the men who were lucky enough not to get caught in her first attack, keeping the distance between her and them.

On his end of the ship, Sanji spun on his hands and unleashed a whirlwind of kicks. It knocked away a few dozen men and made their heads reel. From up in the crow's nest, Zoro came slicing down to the deck with two swords in hand. He didn't even bother with using his third. As soon as he landed, the men, who had encircled him, dropped down like flies.

"Tch," Zoro said, thoroughly disappointed in the lack of competition, "All bark and no bite."

The remaining men became hesitant to continue their attack. "Wapol-sama! These guys are strong!" one of them gasped.

_Crunch!_

_LITTLE MISS!_

Emmy's attention whipped over to the Noble, who had taken another bite out of the railing.

"Say this little ship doesn't taste half bad," he mumbled with his mouthful.

"Luffy! Stop him!" Emmy cried.

Luffy blasted forward, smacking and punching anyone who got in his way. "Oy, you!"

The men in green jackets laughed, "Fool! You think you can take on Wapol-sama? Time to get eaten by the Munch-Munch Fruit!"

"AH LUFFY!" Usopp shouted as Wapol widened his jaws and chomped down on the rubber boy's head.

Just then, Vivi came running out from the girls' quarters. "Wh...what is this?" she asked, seeing the bodies strewn about the deck and Luffy's arms stretched far back into the horizon.

Sanji finished kicking down the last guy around him and then he folded his arms across his chest. "Yo, Vivi-chan," he said with a cool smile, "How's Nami-san doing?"

"She's...erm…" Vivi was too caught up with her own questions to answer Sanji's.

"What a hard to chew person," Wapol grumbled with Luffy's head still lodged in his mouth.

"Why, you…." Luffy seethed and his arms shot forward. They smacked Wapol hard in the chest and sent him flying off into the sky, "GO AWAY!"

Emmy let out a small sigh of relief and then smoothed out her apron. _Merry-san! You're safe now._

_Thank you, Little Miss. Thank you to everyone._

"Ah! Retreat! We need to retrieve Wapol-sama!" someone shrieked from Wapol's metal ship.

The ladder came down again from the hippo figurehead and the remaining men scurried back on board their own ships, dragging behind them their unconscious crew members.

"This isn't over! We _will_ make you pay for this!" another person yelled.

"Remember us! We'll get you for this!"

As the ship backed away from the Going Merry and disappeared, hopefully, from their lives, Emmy strode over to the damaged railing and moved her fingers over it. She turned to the handiest person on the ship. "Usopp...can we fix this?" she asked.

"I can patch it up and make a new railing but it won't look exactly the same as it did before," Usopp warned.

Emmy seemed to really consider his words for a minute before she smiled at him. "That's okay. Merry-san doesn't mind."

"Merry…," Sanji said.

"Doesn't..." Zoro added.

"Mind?" Luffy asked with a tilt of his head.

Emmy nodded. "That's right and she says 'Thank you, everyone'."

"EH?!" the boys all backed away from Emmy as if she had been possessed by a demon.

"Are you saying...that can...talk to...Merry?" Sanji asked slowly, not quite believing the words coming out of his own mouth.

"Yes," Emmy said, "I'm talking to Merry-san."

"A ship," Sanji said.

Emmy nodded. "A ship."

Sanji opened his mouth and closed it again, fighting for the right words to say without hurting the first mate's delicate feelings. However, the swordsman did not agree on that approach.

"Are you crazy?!" Zoro demanded.

"I am perfectly sane," Emmy insisted.

"But you're hearing voices in your head!"

"Voice," Emmy corrected, "One. Merry-san's."

Usopp rolled up his sleeves and he shoved Luffy and Zoro aside to get to the first mate. He put a hand on her head and waited a bit to measure out her temperature.

"It doesn't feel hot so this isn't a fever-induced hallucination," Usopp said with a frown, "Emmy, maybe you should cut down on how much time you visit Nami. I think you might be getting sick too."

"I feel fine," Emmy replied. She brushed Usopp's hand away and she lifted her chin, "Someone once told me that a place that holds a lot of emotional value, houses some emotions themselves. I've been talking to Merry-san ever since we got on board...so I guess now it's her turn to talk back."

There was a stunned silence and Emmy looked to her brother for support. "You believe me, right, Luffy?"

"If she can talk, can you ask Merry if that means she can poop too?" Luffy asked.

_Thwack!_

Even Vivi joined the swordsman and the cook in knocking some sense into the captain.

"Idiot," Zoro huffed.

_Idiot._

Emmy giggled but decided to keep the ship's opinion to herself. She felt the doubt coming from her nakama but she didn't care. She was just happy that Merry-san could finally tell her if she needed anything.

Emmy re-tied her apron and planted her hands on her hips. "Now then, Merry-san," she said out loud while she surveyed the state of the deck, "How about I get rid of all this muddied snow and bullets for you?"

_That would be lovely, Little Miss._


	45. I am Coming With You.

Another night had passed and Nami's condition had only worsened. Her temperature was steadily rising again despite the numerous attempts everyone made to cool Nami down. Her breath was getting more ragged and Emmy had to really focus in order to notice the faint traces of her bond. However, the first mate couldn't focus on them even if she wanted to because she was too busy trying to withstand Nami's symptoms. Even with her headband on, being near Nami was stifling.

"Emmy, I can do that," Zoro said as Emmy replaced Nami's snowball pouch with a fresh cold one.

"No," was all the first mate could whisper. She dumped the melted contents of the old pouch into a bucket and wrung out the cloth. Her head was pounding just as much as her heart and she could feel her collar getting heavy from her sweat.

"Namiiii!" Luffy sang out from beside his sister. He had pulled up a chair and his barefeet kept dancing impatiently on the floor. He had drawn all over his face and was stretching out his cheeks to make funny faces at the navigator, "Look at me! Look at me! C'mon, smile, Nami!"

The only response from the navigator was a small groan.

"Zoro, can you lift Nami up?" Emmy requested, "I'm going to change her sheets and pillow."

"Ah," the swordsman said. He batted away his clown faced captain and smoothly hooked his arms under Nami.

"Gently, please," Emmy cautioned.

"I got it," the swordsman grunted and lifted the navigator off her bed with her blanket still draped over her.

"Thank you," Emmy said. She stood up and smoothed out her apron before she reached for the neatly folded linens by her feet. It took her almost no time for the first mate to swap out the sweat soaked bedding with clean, dry ones. She nodded to the swordsman, who placed the navigator back into her bed.

Emmy smiled weakly to her nakama and then scooped up the moist sheet and pillow case. "I'll go wash these," she said softly and then left the room.

As soon as she closed the door behind her, she leaned up against it and tried to steady her breath. The air around her instantly seemed to drop significantly in temperature and the pressure in her head was gone.

She allowed herself to take five seconds for herself and then she went into the men's room to get the laundry tub and washboard.

_Little Miss, don't push yourself._

The corner of Emmy's lips turned upwards. _Thank you for your concern, Merry-san. I'll be alright._

_The weather is nice now and the water is calm. Why don't you clean the sheets outside? Get some fresh air?_

Emmy dumped the linens into the tub and then covered it with the washboard. She hoisted it up by the handles and she turned towards the door. _That's a wonderful suggestion. Thank you, Merry-san._

When she got to the deck, she was greeted by Vivi, Usopp, and Sanji. Vivi was leaning against the railing and keeping a watchful eye on the waters while Sanji did the same but up in the crow's nest. The sniper was boarding up the broken parts of the railing and he was just one board away from recovering all the damage Wapol had done.

The skies were clear and the water was calm. The air was chilly and the temperature must have been below freezing but it felt nice against Emmy's still heated skin.

"The weather _is_ nice today," Emmy commented, "Merry-san was right."

"Yeah. We were just talking about it, Emmy-chan," Sanji said from above, politely ignoring the comment about the ship. He was still having a hard time accepting the fact that their ship could talk but who was he to question a devil fruit user, especially one who was so pure in heart?

"It's probably proof that an island is nearby," Vivi said, "We must be approaching a winter island. I'm sure of it."

"Winter island?" Usopp asked.

"Climatically, there are four basic islands in the Grand Line - spring islands, summer islands, winter islands, and fall islands. Each one generally has four seasons of it's own," Vivi explained, "In short, when on the Grand Line, there are at least 16 different seasonal levels you would experience. From summer on a summer island to winter on a winter island...Of course, there are many exceptions and unknown climates."

"Wow," Usopp breathed, "The Grand Line has all these different islands one after another and that's why the seas between them have such unstable weather."

"Yes. That's why if there's stable weather, it's most likely because there's an island nearby," Vivi said.

"Amazing...I didn't know that," Emmy said.

"Wait. I thought you were from here, Emmy. How did you-" Usopp started to ask.

"OH! I see it! I see an island!" Sanji cried, "WE FOUND AN ISLAND!"

Wordlessly, Emmy sidestepped away from the doorway and soon enough, the captain came running past her and he hopped onto his special seat on the figurehead.

"AHHHHH! An island!" he yelled with delight, "It's white! It's so white! It must be snow. A snow island!"

At the mention of snow, Emmy dropped everything she was holding and raced to the boys' room. She returned wearing her cloak and mittens and she rushed towards Luffy with a fur-lined red jacket in hand and a pair of gloves. "Luffy! You forgot your jacket and gloves again."

"Shishishishi. Look Emmy! Snow!" Luffy shouted.

"Yes, yes," Emmy said and then she poked him gently on the shoulder, "Hey, Luffy?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I please have your attention for just a moment?"

Luffy tore his gaze away from the exciting snowy island that had interesting tube-like mountains. "Yeah?"

"How are you feeling today?" Emmy asked solemnly.

"Miss Maid, what are you-" Vivi asked but then Usopp held up a gloved hand to stop her.

"Wait for it," the sniper sighed.

Luffy blinked three times and then his arms clamped over his body. "AH! I'm freezing!" he roared. He snatched his jacket out of Emmy's hands and hurriedly put it on. Then he stuffed his hands into his thick yellow gloves.

"Took you long enough!" Sanji and Usopp seethed at the same time.

"Emmy! You're coming with me this time, right?" Luffy stretched his neck out, not even budging his body an inch from his seat, just so he could see eye to eye with his sister. His nose was practically pressed up against hers. The sudden proximity to Luffy made Emmy's face feel hot and her mind went blank.

"Eh?"

"You're not going to stay behind and then explore the island by yourself again, are you?" Luffy snapped his head back and he frowned at his sister.

"O-Of course I'm coming with you, Luffy," Emmy stammered, Her hands went to her cheeks in hopes that the cold snow caught in her mittens would relieve some of the heat.

"Shishishishi. Good!"

"Idiot! You do realize that we're here to find a doctor for Nami-san and not going on an adventure, right?" Sanji lectured but the captain paid him no mind.

"I love snow. It's so white and fluffy and refreshing to eat and…" Luffy rambled.

Emmy smiled at the back of his straw hat. Despite his cheerful demeanor, underneath it all, he was just as worried about Nami as the rest of them. Having never been sick before, he had no clue how to help his ailing nakama and that scared him. The only thing he could do, and the only thing he knew how to do, was to be extra energetic and playful in order to lighten the mood, not just for Nami but for all of his nakama.

"Luffy! Look! There's a waterfall," Emmy said, spotting a crevice along the snow covered shoreline where the seawater pooled into a small bay.

"It's a waterfall of melted snow. I think we can stop in there then," Vivi suggested as Zoro appeared up on the deck.

"Alright. Who's going doctor hunting?" Zoro asked and then he noticed how quiet the area was, "Or maybe people-hunting first?"

Usopp rubbed the back of his head. "I know what he means...but doesn't he just come off like he's asking us to go out and kill people?"

"That's far enough, pirates!'

Armed men appeared along the elevated snowbanks surrounding the bay and they pointed their rifles down at the crew.

"You just had to say 'kill people'," Sanji muttered to Usopp.

"How is this _my_ fault?!" Usopp hissed, already surrendering with his arms in the air.

"I guess we don't need to people hunt anymore," Emmy said as she straightened up her headband and smoothed her apron.

"Stop calling it that," Usopp shrieked.

A man stepped forward from the gun line. He had a prominent jaw and a strong, sturdy physique. He wore armored plates around his burly arms and a green fur lined cap on his head. He stood a whole head above everyone else's and the clear leader of the group. "Attention, pirates. Leave this place at once!" he commanded in a deep voice that was solemn but not severe.

"We came to find a doctor!" Luffy shouted back.

"We have a sick person on board," Vivi added.

"Please!" Emmy finished and bowed her head.

"We won't fall for that trick, you filthy pirates!" a man from the other side of the bank cried.

"This is our island," another man chimed in, "We won't let you pirates land here! Raise anchor and leave now or else we'll blow up your ship!"

Sanji lit a cigarette and then waved the flame off the match. "Man," he sighed, "They really hate our guts...And we just met too."

"Don't talk back!" someone snapped.

_Bang!_

A bullet hit the floorboard right in front of Sanji, missing his toe by a hair. "Whoa!" Sanji said as he took a step back.

"Ah! Merry-san!" Emmy gasped.

_I'm alright, Little Miss! It's okay._

Sanji lurched forward for an attack but was quickly held back by the princess. "Stop, Sanji-san!" she cried, blocking him from the front with her back turned towards the gunmen, "Please don't-"

_Bang!_

Both Vivi and Sanji flinched in reaction to the gunshot and then looked at each other, expecting the other to fall back. "Eh?"

_Little Miss!_

"EMMY!" Luffy screamed as the first mate doubled over in front of the cook and princess. She had ran in front of them just as the gunman had nervously pulled his trigger.

"Miss Maid!" Vivi gasped as she saw a drop of blood stain a patch of snow just under Emmy, "Why?"

The first mate drew in a breath, taking a moment to study the emotional climate, and then stood back up. Her calm blue eyes met the princess' as she took off her headband and stuffed it in her pocket. "Because I can heal. Neither you or Merry-san can."

Emmy looked away and frowned at the blood that had bloomed at the front of her apron, "Maybe I shouldn't wear white…"

All Luffy saw was red. "Why you-" he snarled up at the islanders and he raised his fist only to have his sister catch him by the wrist and then his head was pushed down from behind as she forced him to bow his head.

"Apologize, Luffy," Emmy said and she bowed her head next to her brother's in order to apologize to their audience as well as whisper into Luffy's ear.

"But we did nothing wrong!" Luffy protested.

"They are just scared, Luffy," Emmy murmured, "They're not pirates or marines. They're just trying to protect their island and their home. We owe them for an apology for taking away their peace even if it was just for a moment."

_Thud._

From the corner of Luffy's eye, he spotted Vivi groveling on the deck with her head on the floor and her palms flattened beside it. "We aren't going to fight you," Vivi shouted, "And we won't land or step foot on your island. All we ask is for a doctor to come here to treat our friend. She is gravely ill and we are asking for your help. Please!"

Luffy blinked. "Vivi…"

"If you're going to be captain, Luffy," Vivi lectured, "Then you need to understand that not everything can be fixed by acting recklessly. You are responsible for the lives of those you lead."

There was a brief silence and then Luffy's head stopped resisting to Emmy. "Yeah, I was wrong. I'm sorry. Please call a doctor." Then he surprised his sister by dropping to his knees. He bowed his head and his hat rolled over in front of Vivi. "Please help my friend."

Emmy kept her head bowed as everyone on the Going Merry waited for a response. The wind blew past and the ship swayed a bit from the calm waters. Finally, the silence was broken.

"I will show you to the village," the leader said, "Follow me."

Vivi let out a breath of relief and she sat up on her feet. "See?" she said to Luffy, "They understood."

"Ah," Luffy replied as he studied the princess, "You're amazing, Vivi. How'd you know that would work?"

Vivi could only laugh sheepishly back at him. Luffy grinned and then sprang to his feet.

"Yosh!" he cheered and then turned to his sister, "Emmy! Get Nami. Let's go find the doctor."

"I'm coming too," Sanji said as he offered a hand to Vivi and helped the princess to a standing position, "Not going to let you clumsy idiot handle carrying Nami-san's delicate body."

"I-I'll come too!" Usopp volunteered.

"Oh? What about your 'Can't-Get-On-This-Island Disease'?" the cook asked.

Emmy giggled as she set her headband back on her head, "I think that got cured with the 'Invited-To-Land-By-Locals' vaccination."

"I guess that means I'll stay here," Zoro said. He started to do some stretches and rotate his shoulder muscles to warm them up, "Time for my training anyways."

_As long as he doesn't drop his bar bells on me…_

Emmy stifled another giggle and she clasped her hands behind her back. "Zoro...Merry-san has requested that if you are to use your barbells, then at least place them gently on the floor."

"Seriously?"

"She's made of wood. Not stone," Emmy said.

"That's not what I was questioning," Zoro grumbled but nodded his head in agreement anyways.

With that, the pirates split up with Zoro and Carue watching the ship while the rest followed the islanders back to their village. The cook volunteered to carry Nami on his back but with the first mate's insistence, they made a makeshift stretcher out of some extra fabric and unused boards from the storage room. Nami slept on it with a thick blanket covering her while they carried her through the snowy island with Luffy at the front and Sanji at the back. Emmy's headband was firmly back on her head.

Usopp and Emmy trudged behind everyone else. The sniper's head was lowered and his arms were crossed very firmly in front of him. He was lost in his own thoughts but to Emmy's surprise, it wasn't out of fear. He was feeling sad.

"Oy...Emmy…" he finally said.

"Yes?"

"...This is your first time talking to ships, right? This isn't something your power normally does?"

Emmy shrugged. "I'm still unsure of what my powers can or cannot do...but yes, this is the first time I was able to talk to anything that wasn't a person."

"So...if it's maybe not your power...then...why…" Usopp paused in his step, which Emmy did too once she noticed it. She looked at him and waited patiently for him to reveal what was causing his slight distress. "Why...didn't Merry talk to me first?"

Emmy blinked. "Maybe…" she said slowly, "Maybe it's because she's scared."

"Scared of me?!"

"Scared of frightening you," Emmy said, "I mean, if you heard her voice first...would you believe it was her?"

"O-o-of course, I would!" Usopp said indignantly but Emmy could feel his doubt.

"Maybe she talked to me because it was easier for her to jump into a conversation I already started with her…" Emmy said and continued on her way.

"Do...do you think one day Merry could talk to me?"

Emmy turned and grinned. "Anything could happen, Usopp. You know that."

The sagged shoulders of the sniper rose up and so did his chin. Immediately, though, his relaxed state was wiped away by fear. "AHHHH! A bear! Tame it, Emmy! Make it go to sleep!" Usopp shrieked out of the blue. He ducked behind the first mate and turned her so that she was facing a white bear that was strolling down their way. The bear was as tall as one of the snow covered trees that scattered around the area. He held a hiking stick and the handle had a sharp curve to it, like a pick axe.

"EEK! There's no time," Usopp continued to exclaim. He thrust his hands into the air and he fell sidefirst into the snow like a freshly cut tree. "Everyone, play dead!"

Emmy bowed to the bear and then to her shock, it bowed back.

"Ah, are you familiar with the hiking bear?" the leader at the front of the group said.

"Shishishi. Animals always like Emmy. She must smell really tasty to them," Luffy laughed.

Emmy blushed at his words and the corner's of Sanji's mouth twitched upwards. Only precious Emmy-chan would find that as a compliment.

"Ah, well," the leader said, "It poses no threat and likes to hike up and down these mountains."

"Luffy, bow," Emmy said, "That's proper hiking manners."

"Oh, hello," Luffy said with a bow as everyone else followed suit.

They trudged through the thick snow until they reached the outskirts of a village. It was at the foot of a mountain and built in a clearing surrounded by trees. Buildings with cone shaped, green shingled roofs were lined up the streets. There were furry hippo-like creatures and mountain goats that passed by along with the actual villagers.

"This is our village. This is Big Horn," the leader said.

"Nami-san, we made it to a village with people! A village!" Sanji said brightly to the sleeping navigator.

"Ooh! Emmy! Look at the weird animals," Luffy said, grabbing Emmy by the wrist and pulling her along towards a furry hippo that was tied to a fence post.

Emmy lifted her mittened hand and it sniffed at it with it's giant nostrils. Then it snorted out a warm blast of air into her face. Emmy smiled and bowed her head. "Hello. Nice to meet you, Furry Hippo-San."

An old woman walked over to them, holding a bristle brush with a wooden pole as it's handle. She started to brush the hair of the creature with it. "Ah, he's a White Walkie. This is Bero."

"Hello, Bero-san," Emmy corrected and she nodded at the woman, "And thank you for the introduction. My name is Monkey-"

"Mother! Don't talk to them!" a woman said as she rushed over to pull the old woman away, "They are pirates. They are dangerous."

"What?" the old woman gasped. She tripped over her own feet and fell into the snow, dropping the brush, "Pirates?!"

The leader of the group came up behind Emmy and Luffy. "I believe they pose no threat," he said and put his hands on their shoulders, "Please rest at ease."

The two female villagers visibly relaxed and the old woman exhaled while her daughter helped her out of the snow. "Well, if Dalton-san says so…"

"Dalton-san?" Emmy repeated and she looked at the leader. She caught his eyes and she smiled at him, "Thank you, Dalton-san."

"No problem," he said and he turned on his heels, "Come. I'll take you to my place."

Suddenly, Usopp took his place behind the two Monkeys and his hand shot right in between their heads to point forward. "Look! Another Hiking Bear!" he hissed.

"Again?" Luffy exclaimed.

"Gotta bow," Usopp said as he and Luffy paid their respects to a large woman, who had the height and shape of a hiking bera.

_Thwack!_

"Oh, Dalton-san! I heard there were pirates. Are you okay?" the woman asked as she passed by said pirates, completely oblivious to the two bumps sprouting out of the two boys' head.

"Don't be rude," Emmy lectured while Dalton greeted the woman, "That is a woman. A human being with feelings. You're lucky she didn't hear you."

"Yes, Emmy...Sorry, Emmy," the two boys mumbled in unison.

They followed Dalton through the village. Everywhere they went, villagers took the time to stop what they were doing to say a few words to him. All of them kind.

"Oh! Dalton-san," an older man called out, "I can't wait for the election in a couple of days. Everyone says they're going to vote for you. You have my vote too!"

"Y-You can't be serious!" Dalton protested, "I'm nothing but a sinful man. I do not deserve your support."

"Dalton-san seems to be well respected and trusted here," Emmy said to Vivi and when the princess did not respond to Emmy, the first mate decided not to pry. The princess seemed lost in her own thoughts and Emmy thought it best to leave it alone. After all, now that Emmy knew the urgency of getting Vivi home and what was at stake, she couldn't blame Vivi for needing some time to herself.

They reached Dalton's house, which near the center of the village. It was a basic house with with the bedroom, kitchen, and living room all in one space. Framed crossed swords sat above the mantle with a tiger skin hanging over it. The bed was big enough to barely fit Dalton's large frame and there was only one dinner set laid out on the dining table.

Sanji and Emmy carefully tucked Nami into Dalton's bed while Luffy and Usopp stayed outside. Vivi stood next to the fireplace and kept a watchful eye on the navigator.

"I'm sorry. I haven't properly introduced myself," Dalton said as he set his weapons down and then took off his hat and coat, "I am Dalton, captain of the security squad of this island. Please forgive our heavy-handed welcome."

Emmy bowed. "Pleased to officially meet you, Dalton-san. My name is Monkey D. Emmy. I am the first mate of the pirate crew. This is Sanji and Vivi. Outside is Usopp and Luffy, who is the captain. The one who is sick is Nami."

' _Vivi?' Since when did Emmy stop calling her Vivi-sama?_ , Sanji thought with a raised eyebrow. Then he noticed how anxious the princess was, _Oh, she's trying to keep Vivi's identity a secret._

"Vivi…" Dalton repeated and glanced over at the blue haired girl, "I'm sorry if I'm being rude but I somehow feel like I've seen you before."

"I-It's probably just your imagination," Vivi quickly responded.

"Dalton-san, could you please tell us about this witch?" Emmy asked as she knelt by Nami and placed a hand to the navigator's forehead, "Nami's temperature was 42 degrees when we checked it just before we left the ship."

That diverted Dalton's attention and he gasped, "42?!"

"Her fever's gone up for three days in a row," Vivi said, sending a silent thank you in her mind to the first mate.

"She'll die if that continues," Dalton said.

Emmy nodded. "Now you see why we are seeking medical attention."

"We don't know how to treat her illness, much less the cause of it," Vivi said.

"We need a doctor. Anyone will do! Where is the witch?!" Sanji demanded.

"Do you see those mountains outside the window?" Dalton asked.

"The mountains?" Sanji, Emmy and Vivi repeated. They turned to look outside but instead of seeing a distant landscape, they were greeted with two coal eyes and the rounded head of the revived Mr. Snow Barrel.

"Hyper Mr. Snow Barrel" Luffy cheered from outside.

"Please. That's nothing! Check out Snowzilla, the snow beast!" they heard Usopp shout back with just as much enthusiasm.

Emmy sighed and tucked her headband back into her apron pocket. "I'm sorry. Please excuse me for a moment but please, continue your discussion," she said with small bow and then headed out the door.

"Erm…" Dalton coughed, "So...those mountains outside are known as-"

"Feel Feel Projection: Guilt!"

"Er...those mountains are known as the Drum Rockies," Dalton tried again, "And there's a castle-"

"I'm sorry...I shouldn't be playing when Nami is almost dying," Usopp moaned.

"I'm...I'm sorry for stealing food from the kitchen when Sanji is asleep," Luffy cried.

Sanji almost broke down the door if the princess did step in and hold him back for the second time that day.

"What else?" Emmy demanded.

"And...and…," Luffy sniffled, "And I'm sorry for having fun while Nami is sick."

Inside the house, the princess chuckled sheepishly. "I'm sorry," Vivi said, "Please...please continue, Dalton-san. We're listening."

Dalton cleared his throat and tried again. "At the top of the tallest mountain is a castle-"

_Bang!_

The door was kicked open and the first mate returned dragging her brother by the ear and the sniper by the nose. Neither of those body parts were nearly as red as their moistened eyes.

"Please pardon the disruption," Emmy said with a nod, "Ignore us and continue."

"Right…" Dalton said in disbelief as the first mate dragged her two captives to a corner of his house.

Dalton refocused himself and he looked out the window. The snow obstructions were now gone. In it's place where six small even mounds of snow pushed up against his stone fence. _When did they even have time to clean that up?_

Dalton coughed again and pointed out the window. "Ahem...Do you see that castle at the top of the tallest mountain in the middle?"

"Castle?" Sanji asked. He pressed his nose against the glass to get a better look. The falling snow and the misty air didn't make it easy but he did see faint traces of a building at the top of the mountain.

"That castle no longer has a king," Dalton said, "The only doctor in the land, Dr. Kureha, lives there."

"What?! Of all the places, why does it have to be so far away?!" Sanji exclaimed, "How do we get her to come here right away? We have a critical patient, you know?!'

"There's no way to contact her, unfortunately," Dalton said. He pulled out a dining chair and sank into it.

"What?! And she calls herself a doctor? What the hell is she like?!" Sanji seethed.

"As a doctor, she is very skilled but she's an eccentric old hag. She's nearly 140 years old now," Dalton said.

"140?!" Usopp and Luffy gasped from their corner while each holding up a handwritten sign that said "Repenting for Being Inconsiderate".

"What happens when people here get sick or injured?" Vivi asked.

"She comes down from the mountain when she feels like it," Dalton sighed, "She looks for patients, treats them, and then she takes whatever she wants as payment before she leaves."

"Sounds like an unfriendly old hag," Usopp commented.

"Hey! She almost sounds like a pirate," Luffy said.

"But...how does such an old woman get up and down the mountain?" Emmy asked.

"It's an odd rumor...but several people claimed to have seen her riding a sleigh through the sky on moonlit nights. That's the reason why she's called a witch. Some also saw her with a strange creature they'd never seen before."

"I knew it!" Usopp cried, "There's a Snow Monster! It's a snow mountain, after all! Ahhh! I knew there'd be one. A witch and a Snow Man? Please! Let's avoid them at all cost!"

"Feel Feel," Emmy sighed as she placed her hand on his shoulder, "Pacify."

"Woo," Usopp sank back on his knees and he grinned at Luffy, "I could use a cup of tea right now."

"So...what can we do to get the witch to see Nami?" Emmy asked.

"All we can do is wait for the next time she comes down the mountain," Dalton replied.

"You can't be serious…" Vivi said.

Emmy wrung her apron in her hands while looking at the navigator. "We can't afford to wait."

"DAMN IT!" Sanji cried, the gravity of it all finally getting the best of him, "What kind of shitty place is this with only one doctor for an entire country? And _she_ gets to decide when to see patients? How is this-"

"Sanji!" Emmy said sharply, noticing how Dalton winced at the cook's words and felt a flash of guilt, "Please calm down. Dalton-san is trying to help and-"

_Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!_

She was cut off by the distinct noise of Luffy harshly tapping Nami's face. "Oy, Nami?"

"What are you doing?!" Sanji, Vivi, and Usopp roared.

Nami's brows furrowed and her whole body shuddered before her eyes opened just a little but it was enough for the rubber boy.

"Oh! She's awake!" Luffy said, "Hey, Nami! The only way to see a doctor is to climb a mountain so we're going to do it, okay?"

"Don't be crazy!" Sanji shouted, "What are you doing with Nami-san?!"

"It's okay. I'll carry her on my back," Luffy said.

"That's not the problem here!" Vivi argued.

"Then what is?" Luffy asked, "We need to hurry, don't we? And the doctor is up in that castle, right?"

"That's true," Vivi admitted, "But climbing that mountain is easier said than done! Look at how steep and tall it is!"

"I can make it," Luffy said with a firm nod.

"Maybe you can make it but it'd be too hard for Nami-san!" Sanji countered.

"The mountain aside, it is freezing out there and Nami's already burning up as it is!" Usopp added.

"Then wouldn't that cool her down?" Luffy asked.

"How do you not get that it's going to be dangerous for Nami?!" Vivi demanded.

Emmy held up her hands in a surrendering position and waited for everyone to calm down. Then she lowered her arms and folded her hands in front of her. "What do you think, Nami?"

"Eh?"

Everyone turned to look at the navigator, whose eyes were now fully opened and breathing more rapidly than before.

"I need to get over this fast," Nami panted, "I need to hurry...for Vivi...So…"

She drew out her hand from under the covers and held it up to Luffy. "I'm counting on you, Captain."

Luffy grinned and gave her hand a light high five. "That's more like it. Just leave it to me!"


	46. I am Not the First Priority.

The wind was blistering cold and it flung ice and snow into Emmy, Luffy, and Sanji's faces as they ran towards the mountain that housed the alleged witch. The lower half of Emmy's face was buried safely under Sanji's scarf, which he insisted she take if she was to come with them. It was the only help he could give her since he was unable to dissuade either her to stay behind with Usopp and Vivi.

"It's gotten a little colder. The wind's picking up," Luffy said with Nami safely tied to his back.

"Oy! Why aren't you wearing shoes?" Sanji demanded and pointed his cigarette at Luffy's sandalled feet, "Just seeing that is painful."

"This is my police!" Luffy shouted with an abnormal amount of conviction for a philosophy revolving footwear.

"You mean 'policy'," Emmy corrected.

"Yep, that," Luffy said, "Anyways, Emmy, do you remember that old geezer who used to come to Makino's bar all the time?"

"Travis-san?" Emmy asked, "Yeah...What about him?"

"He told me that people in snowy countries never go to sleep. He said if they did, they'd die because it was so cold!"

"There is no way that's true," Sanji interjected, "Watch out, Emmy-chan."

_Whoosh!_

"Thank you, Sanji," Emmy said as she, Sanji, and Luffy all veered to the left to avoid being hit by a furry blur that whizzed by. Normally they would've stopped to see what it was all about but they were in a hurry and there was no time for sightseeing.

Sanji reached behind and grabbed Emmy's hand. "Careful, Emmy-chan. The snow here is getting thicker."

"Thank you, Sanji," Emmy said and then a thought occurred to her, "Wait. Luffy, if what Travis-san said was true, then why would Dalton-san have a bed?"

"Grrrraaaarrr!"

"Down, Emmy-chan," Sanji advised calmly. They all ducked just in time for another white blur to fly over their heads.

"Oh, that's true...Damn it! Travis lied to me!" Luffy seethed, "I'm going to beat him up the next time I see him."

"Didn't Travis-san also told you that money grew on trees?" Emmy asked.

"Yeah, he did," Luffy said, "I wonder if that coin I planted behind Dadan's house has started to take root yet…"

"Oh dear," Emmy whispered to herself while Sanji looked up to the sky for some kind of divine intervention.

_Cr-cr-cr-cr-crack!_

A tree trunk snapped from the side and the tree toppled right in front of their feet but the pirates just jumped over it without any hesitation.

_Whoosh!_

Emmy's eyes must've adjusted to the pace of the blur because this time, as it went past her, she could see long white ears and red eyes. _A bunny?_

"Here's a fact for you," Sanji shared, "Women in snowy lands all have silky-smooth skin."

"Really?" Luffy asked, "How come?"

"Isn't it obvious? Whenever you're cold, you rub your skin for warmth so you get smooth skin," Sanji said.

"But then how come it's white?" Luffy asked.

"Because the color of the constantly-falling snow dyes their skin," Sanji said.

"That sounds unlikely," Luffy commented.

"That's rich, coming from someone like you!" Sanji snapped.

_Whoosh!_

This time the furball came right at Emmy and although, Luffy and Sanji lowered their head to avoid it, Emmy put her hands out and caught it right in front of her face. She blinked at the raccoon sized rabbit that had sharp teeth and sharp claws to match. "Oh, hello there."

The rabbit's ears straightened and he growled through his bared teeth. "Raaaaar!"

"That's probably one of those Lapin things Dalton warned us about," Sanji sighed, "Say goodbye, Emmy. We don't have time to play with it."

"Oh yes, of course," Emmy said. She locked eyes with the rabbit and she smiled, "I'm sorry we can't stay but maybe when our friend is all better we can play together. Is that alright, Lapin-san?"

The rabbit's mouth loosened and his ears lowered. "Rar?"

Emmy set it down gently to the snow and then patted its head. "Goodbye, Lapin-san!" she said as she ran to catch up to her brother and the cook, who kept his hand out for her to grab.

She caught it and used that moment to look back at the rabbit. "Was that really a Lapin? Dalton-san said they were dangerous...But that one seemed harmless to me."

"We can figure that out later," Sanji grunted. He used his free hand to help block out some of the snow that was being blasted into his eyes, "The wind is getting stronger. Luffy, you better take good care of Nami-san!"

"Yep. That was definitely a Lapin thing but it was a baby," Luffy said.

"Oh? How do you figure?" Sanji asked.

Luffy stopped in his tracks and then pointed in front of them. "Because _those_ are the adult Lapins."

The path was blocked by at least twenty rabbit-eared creatures. They were just as massive as a hiking bear. The rubber boy looked at their fur and then second guessed himself. "Or...since they're white and big….they could be polar bears."

"Either way," Emmy said and pushed herself past the two boys. She folded her hands in front of her and gave a waist deep bow, "Hello. Our friend is in danger. We have to go to the castle at the top of the mountain. Would you be so kind as to let us through? "

"Grrrrrr." Their low, rumbling growl was hard for Emmy to decipher whether they were friends or foes.

"Listen, Luffy," Sanji cautioned, "Don't you dare fight. Whether you attack or get struck, Nami-san will feel the whole impact too. Given her state, she'll die…"

"GRRRRAAARRRRRR!" the largest of the Lapins roared in the air.

"Foe it is…" Emmy sighed as she loosened her hood and took off her headband, "Luffy, leave it to me and Sanji."

"Got it!" Luffy said and took three steps forward only to take five steps back to avoid a slashing claw attack from an incoming lapin, "Wait! If I can't fight, what am I supposed to do then?"

"Just dodge! Dodge, dodge, dodge, dodge, dodge, dodge, and then run!" Sanji instructed as he followed his own words when more Lapins came flying at them, "But don't retreat."

"THAT'S HARD!" Luffy snapped.

"Feel Feel Pacify...Feel Feel Pacify...Pacify...Pacify…" Emmy whispered, trying to sidestep and then pat any part of a Lapin's body within reaching distance.

"Flanchet Shoot!" Sanji cried and kicked away a Lapin, only to have five more coming his way, "Gah! There's too many. Go into the forest! We'll use the trees for cover!"

"Okay!" the two Monkeys called out and ran into the woods. They had avoided that path since the thick trees made it hard for them to run directly to the mountains but now they had no choice. The trees were needed to become obstacles for the Lapins.

"We'll have to shake them off somehow," Sanji advised, keeping a wary eye on the Lapins, who were running alongside them behind the trees, "Damn rabbits. If we weren't in a hurry and not in such thick snow, I'd turn you all into stew."

"GRRRAAAARRR!"

"I think he heard you, Sanji," Emmy said as a Lapin came weaving through the trees and flying towards her.

"Ah, Emmy!" Luffy cried. Instincts took over and he raised his leg.

"NO! Don't!" Sanji shouted and jumped in to kick the animal out of the way in Luffy's place, "I told you not to attack, you idiot! This isn't a joke!"

"Sanji! We should get up there!" Emmy said, noticing a rocky ledge up ahead.

"Go! I'll hold them back!" Sanji replied. He turned to face the group of incoming Lapins.

Emmy and Luffy ran ahead just as one appeared from behind a tree and cut them off.

"Emmy! Jump!" Luffy said as he bounced up into the air, landed on the Lapin's chest, and used that to spring up to the ledge.

"What? I-" Emmy said.

"I got you, Emmy-chan!" Sanji came from behind and grabbed her by the waist. He kicked off the ground and followed the same path as his captain. The Lapin was too surprised to react as they got onto higher ground.

Luffy stared down at the group of Lapins and he stuck out his tongue. "Blehhh!'

They did not care for that in the slightest and they bounded up towards the pirates.

"AH! They're coming!" Emmy cried.

"You didn't need to egg them on, Luffy!" Sanji seethed as he changed his hold from Emmy's waist to her hand hand and ran forward. She kept her head down and just concentrated on going as fast as she could against the strong wind and the thick snow.

She kept waiting for an incoming Lapin or for Sanji to swerve away to avoid one but several minutes passed without any incident.

"Did...did we lose them?" Emmy asked when the cook slowed his step and then he gradually stopped.

"No," was all Sanji said as he pointed ahead at the all too familiar scene of Lapins blocking their way once more.

"Wow! They're persistent!" Luffy shouted.

A Lapin with a big scar on his head raised his arm and the rest of the Lapins began to jump up and down.

"Are...are they dancing?" Emmy asked.

"Are they irritated because they're hungry?" Luffy asked.

Sanji's jaw loosened and his cigarette fell to the floor. "Don't tell me...they're gonna...those damn bunnies..."

Sanji's level of panic was steadily rising and it was starting to affect Emmy. "What? What's going on?"

"We gotta run," he gulped.

"But they're blocking our path," Emmy said.

"No...not there. We have to run back," Sanji replied.

"What? We can't run away!" Luffy said, "Nami still needs-"

"We gotta run!" Sanji cried, "An avalanche is coming!"

The ground trembled beneath their feet and from high above what looked like puffy clouds to Emmy was rumbling down the mountain.

"Ava...ava...avalanche," Emmy gasped.

Emmy was physically jolted out of her thoughts by Sanji, who pulled her harshly behind him as he raced to find cover, any cover. "WE GOTTA RUN!"

"AHHHHHHHH!" Luffy screamed as he ran alongside the cook.

"Those damn bunnies. I'll never forgive them!" Sanji cried.

"Wh-wh-wh-what're we gonna do, Sanji?!" Luffy stammered.

"I don't know but the first priority is Nami-san. Second priority is Emmy-chan. Third priority is Nami-san again! Got that, Luffy?! Protect Nami-san even if it kills you and I'll protect-" Sanji started to say.

"Don't worry about me!" Emmy said as she pulled her hand from his grip and willed her legs to move as fast as the boys, "Both of you focus on Nami and get her to safety!"

"But how?!" Luffy cried.

"Over there! There's a cliff!" Sanji said and veering towards a small curved edge that the cascading snow seemed to be bypassing. They raced for the small patch of hope but as soon as they got there, a taller and higher mound of snow came ploughing towards them with broken trees mixed in with it.

"Watch out for the-" Emmy started to say but then she gasped when she realized that all the trees were at the surface of the snow, "Luffy! Jump on the trees!"

"YOSH!" Luffy cried as he jumped up just as the mound of snow came crashing by and he landed on the trunk of a tree, "Whew. Saved. Thanks, Em-"

"LUFFY!" Emmy shouted. She and Sanji got caught in the snow and were pushed downhill at an accelerating rate. The former was unable to jump so high and the latter was slow on catching onto what Emmy was saying.

"AHHHH!" Sanji cried.

Luffy shot out both of his hands and reached for his sister and cook. "Grab on!"

They both caught his hand and he flung them overhead. They landed right behind him on the same tree.

"Whew, thanks," Sanji gasped as Emmy gripped the sides of the trunk.

"What are going to do? We can't keep sliding downhill," Emmy asked.

"Damn it! And we were so close to the foot of the mountain," Sanji seethed, "Damn bunnies. The next time I see them, I'm going to skin them and cook them and-"

"AH! They heard you!" Emmy cried as the Lapins came surfing down the mountain by balancing perfectly on the tree trunks.

"GRRARRRR!" a Lapin roared as it tried to clothesline the pirates off of their tree trunk.

Four Lapins flanked either side of the pirates and more were hurtling at them through the air.

"Can't you stop them, Emmy? Do that paralysis thing!" Luffy said.

"What if that hits you and you drop Nami?!" Emmy asked, "That's too risky!"

"Forget about them! Look ahead! Look ahead!" Sanji cried.

A boulder protruded out of the snow and it had three jagged tree stumps sticking right out of it. If they were to crash land on that, their tree would surely be destroyed not to mention how much harm it would do to their bodies. The blowback would kill Nami for sure.

"AHHHHHHHHH!" Luffy cried.

"Watch out, Luffy! You can't crash. You're carrying Nami-san, remember?!" Sanji shouted.

"Feel Feel…" Emmy murmured and extended her arms out.

"What? Emmy-chan. NO!" Sanji spun in his seat but it was too late.

"PULL!" Emmy said and she yanked both Sanji and Luffy up and over her shoulder, sending them flying high into the air.

"EMMY!" Luffy shouted.

"Luffy! First priority is Nami. Remember that! Your job is to get Nami to the doctor!" Emmy ordered just as the tree crashed into the rock. The tip got caught among the broken tree trunks and hurtled Emmy right into the snow and down the mountain.

Luffy grabbed onto one of the jagged trunks and he dangled over the rock. It was large enough to provide partial coverage from the avalanche while Sanji smoothly landed right in between the three trunks.

"EMMY! Grab on!" Luffy shouted and shot out his hand again towards his sister. He grabbed onto anything that he could. He pulled hard and then his eyes widened when all he got back was her cloak, "AHHHHHH!"

"EMMY-CHAN!" Sanji cried just as the last wisps of blonde hair disappeared underneath the avalanche.

* * *

Emmy didn't know how long she had been out but she did know that she was cold. Numbingly cold. Her bare arms were encased in packed snow and so was the rest of her body. Internally, though, everything hurt. Her arm felt like it was on fire and every time she took a breath, it felt like someone was stabbing her lungs from the inside.

Despite the circumstances, Emmy couldn't help but laugh at her situation. She had once wished to be frozen. It was a couple years too late but it seemed someone had granted her that wish.

Her eyes felt heavy and her consciousness was fading in and out. She kept nodding off and then had to force herself awake. She had to. If she fell asleep buried in the snow, that would be it for her. Her powers could heal wounds and injuries but it couldn't create heat.

She tried to move but the snow weighed heavy on her body. She flexed her fingers, grateful that her mittens preserved enough warmth for her to do at least that. _I can't...die..._ she thought as her eyes drooped again, _I can't...fall asleep...I can't be cold...I need to feel...Food...Fight…_

"Feel…" she mumbled and balled her fingers into fists, "Food...Fight...Feel!"

She kept chanting it over and over again as a way to stay conscious and slowly her voice got louder and louder until she was screaming it at the top of her lungs. "FOOD! FIGHT! FEEL! FOOD! FIGHT! FEEL! FOOD! FIGHT! FEE-"

"AHHHHH! EMMY-CHAN! Is that you?!" came a muffled voice through the snow.

Emmy's eyes watered but her tears froze to her skin as soon as it left her eyes. "Sanji! I'm here! I'M HERE!"

"Hang in there! I'll get you out! Keep talking!"

She could make out the slight sounds of snow and ice crunching. "Is Nami okay?"

"Don't worry. Nami-san survived the avalanche. Luffy has her and is heading towards the mountain. We'll try to catch up with him and head to the top."

"Thank goodness," Emmy agreed. Her voice trailed off when fatigue hit her once again, "I'm...I'm glad...everyone is..."

"Oy! Emmy-chan! Are you still there?! Emmy-chan?!"

"I'm sorry...I'm...exhausted," she mumbled and even in her sleepy state she knew her voice was not loud enough for him to hear through the snow.

"Emmy-chan! Stay with me! Come on! Talk to me! Tell me something. Anything!"

The sounds of digging from above got louder and more rapid while her eyelids felt heavier and heavier. Then the pressure above her was relieved and the snow started to thin until finally she felt Sanji's fingers brush against her forehead as he dug out the snow. Her eyes opened ever so slightly just as his hand rescinded and it took away all the snow that was blocking her view. She smiled faintly at the cook, who had a couple of twigs stuck in his hair but otherwise looked completely fine.

"I'm glad everyone's okay," she said before her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fell asleep. This time, though, she didn't force herself to wake up. She knew she was in good hands.


	47. I am Not Scared.

Emmy woke up with a very confusing dream still lingering in her head. The details were starting to blur out and fade from her memory but she remembered dreaming of a baby Lapin, Wapol, bloodied hands, and the face of...something...She could see the face still in her mind but she didn't know how to describe it. It wasn't quite human but it wasn't like any animal she's ever seen either.

Sharp pain stabbed all through her body but especially in her hands. The dream was pushed out of her thoughts and she focused on finding the source of the pain. She realized that she was in a room with two other beds on either side of her, with a snoring rubber boy and a mumbling cook sleeping in each.

One of the captain's hand had reached across his bed and rested on her stomach. Both his hands were wrapped in thick bandages and they were stained with blood. Luffy had somehow rolled on top of his blanket and it curled around his stomach, revealing bloodied bandages along his legs.

"Luffy…?" Emmy whispered and then turned to look at the cook, "Sanji…?"

The cook stirred in his sleep, as if hearing her words. His left hand rose out from under his blanket and he laid it above his head. Emmy let out a small gasp when she saw that his hands received the same treatment as her brother with the same stains of blood. She reached out her hand towards the cook. _It's not just Luffy! This is Sanji's pain too!_

"Don't touch him! The bandages might come off."

Emmy's hand jerked to a halt and then she turned towards the stern, child's voice that had shouted at her. She sucked in a breath when she saw a small creature standing underneath the doorway. It looked like a baby deer but it was standing on two feet and had a blue nose. He looked familiar yet new all at the same time to Emmy.

He was in a very peculiar position where he was bent on the sides with his two hooves pressed against one side of the doorway with the top of his head hidden behind the wall. His eyes locked with Emmy's and despite being a furred animal, it started to sweat.

"Hello...," Emmy said slowly as she folded her hands in front of her lap and bowed her head, "Are you the doctor who has been treating my nakama? If so, thank you. We are in your debt."

"EH?!" The creature fell backwards out of pure shock. Then it scrambled to his feet and began to wriggle out of delight. "Idiot. Complimenting me like that won't make me happy."

Emmy laughed softly under her breath. She didn't need her powers for this one. He showed it clear as day. "You can come in, if you want. My name is Monkey D. Emmy. What do I call you, Doctor?"

The creature's nose twitched and then tilted his head from one side to another. "You're not scared of me?"

"Should I be?"

"But I'm a reindeer...and I can talk."

"What's scary about that?"

"I have a blue nose."

"...Is that a scary thing?" Now it was Emmy's turn to tilt her head to the side, "I'm not scared of you...so you shouldn't be scared of me either…"

"I-I'm not scared!" the creature cried indignantly. His whole body went rigid and he glared at Emmy.

"I ate the Feel Feel Fruit. I'm an empath," Emmy said and she pressed her hand against her heart, "I'm still healing so my powers aren't at full strength but I can still feel your fear, you know."

The creature's blue nose twitched again. "Devil Fruit user?"

Emmy nodded. "Yes. My name is Monkey D. Emmy. May I please know your name?"

His nose twitched once more and then his shoulders lowered just a touch. He took one tentative step through the door. "I'm...Ch-"

"Chopper! If you have time to chit-chat then you have time to grind up some herbs. Go make more medicine and then change out their bandages!" a woman cackled as she clamped her bony fingers on the creature's shoulder and flung him down the hall.

"AHHHHH!" the creature cried as his voice got carried into the distance.

The woman took his place under the door and directly in front of Emmy. She had wavy white hair that reached to her hip and a grin that was accentuated by the deep wrinkles surrounding her mouth. "Are you happy?"

"Eh?" Emmy asked, completely taken aback by the change in visitors, "I think so...?"

The woman lifted her sunglasses and rested it at the top of her head where a pair of regular glasses sat. She took a drink out of her bottle. "3 broken ribs, spinal fissure, and a distal bicep rupture."

"Pardon?" Emmy asked.

"That's what you showed signs of when you arrived with those boys," the woman said and then she grinned, "But by the time we carried you to the operating room, those signs were gone."

"Dalton-san said there was only one doctor on the island but it seems both you and Dr. Chopper are-" Emmy started to say and she moved to get off the bed but the woman appeared almost immediately in front of her and poked her hard in the forehead with her finger.

"37 degrees celsius. No irregular temperature," the woman said and then took Emmy's pulse, "No irregular heartbeat. No irregular anything…"

When the woman withdrew her hand, Emmy felt the curiosity in the woman spike up. The blonde straightened up her posture and she bowed in her seat. "My name is Monkey D. Emmy. I ate the Feel Feel Fruit and it allows me to heal from any physical injuries and wounds. Thank you very much for your concern and care, Doctor…?"

"Dr. Kureha," the woman said and then her grin returned, "Call me Doctorine."

"Hello, Doctorine-san."

Doctorine took a couple of steps back and then planted her hands on her hip."My secret to staying young, you ask?"

"But...I didn't," Emmy said and then she remembered a more pressing issue, "What happened to Sanji and Luffy? Their hands...they feel-"

"Those two idiots climbed the Drum Rockies using their bare hands with you and the other girl on their backs. Both of them suffered from a severe case of hypothermia. The boy in the straw hat had the most severe frost bite out of the two. Who wears sandals in this weather, I ask you?," Doctorine huffed. Then she raised her eyebrow at Emmy, "You're not going to ask about the other girl? You don't care about her?"

"My power connects me to my nakama so I can feel that Nami's energy is a lot stronger than before and it's only rising. Thanks to you and...Dr. Chopper," Emmy said and then looked at the two boys who at her sides, "So I guess we're at the top of the mountain then."

"Well, I'm going to go check on your other friend. We can discuss payment later," Doctorine said and turned her back to Emmy. She paused when she reached the doorway, "You should probably come with me so Chopper can change the boys' bandages."

"If you don't mind me asking, what is Dr. Chopper?" Emmy asked, "He doesn't feel entirely human and yet-"

"His name is Chopper. He's just a reindeer with a blue nose," Doctorine said curtly and Emmy could feel her worry and protectiveness over the subject but also a touch of pride and warmth.

"But reindeers don't speak," Emmy said.

"If he's different from ordinary reindeers in some way, it's because he ate a Human Human Fruit. That's all."

"Devil Fruit user?" Emmy asked.

"Ah," Doctorine nodded, "He's a reindeer who gained the humans' abilities to walk and talk, among other things. I taught him everything I know about medicine. So! You coming or what?"

"Oh...I guess so. Thank you for the invite," Emmy said awkwardly as she got out of bed. Only when her feet touched the floor did she realize that her dress and apron were gone. In it's place, she wore a shirt that had red sleeves but white on the front and a happy face printed on the chest. It reached all the way to her knees, which were still covered in her tights, "And...thank you for the shirt."

"Are you going to keep thanking me all day?" Doctorine asked.

The doctor felt irritable and capricious and Emmy now realized Dalton's hesitation for them to see her. "I guess not…?"

She followed Doctorine obediently through the hallway and when they got to the doorway of a room, they heard a thunderous crash coming from the inside.

_Clang! Thud! Crack!_

"Be quiet, Chopper!" Doctorine ordered as they walked in. Dust billowed out from a room adjacent to the current one. Emmy resisted the urge to grab the nearest rag and help tidy up. Instead, she clasped her hands in front of her and smiled at the conscious and healthy navigator.

Nami was sitting up from a metal framed bed against a stone wall. Her clothes were changed too and she wore a two piece, light blue pajama set. Her eyes were large and round as she tried to make sense of everything. "Emmy?"

"You are feeling much better, Nami. Your fever feels like it's come down significantly. I'm so relieved," Emmy said.

"Heeheeheehee. What a useful power," Doctorine cackled and then she rested her eyes on Nami, "Are you happy?"

"Huh? Am I...happy?"

Doctrine walked over to the bedside and poked her finger to Nami's forehead. "38.2 degrees...Hmmm...You're doing more or less all right."

"Are...are you a doctor?" Nami asked.

"I'm Dr. Kureha but you can call me Doctorine."

The navigator's attention moved to the first mate's. "If she's the doctor, then that means we made it to the castle!"

Emmy nodded. "Luffy and Sanji are recovering in the other room."

Nami let out a sigh. "That's good."

"What tough guys…" Doctorine muttered against the rim of her bottle and she took a sip. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and then plopped down on the foot of the Nami's bed. She pulled up Nami's button up and revealed a purple rash along Nami's stomach, "This...was the cause of your illness."

"What is this?" Nami asked.

"You were bitten by a bug called Kestia," Doctorine diagnosed, "It's a poisonous tick that lives in jungles with high temperature and humidity. Once you're bitten by it, bacteria come in and keep you in pain by lying dormant inside your body for 5 days. It causes high fever of above 40 degrees, infection, myocarditis, arteritis, and cerebritis. I'd say you've been infected for three days. The suffering must've been unusually harsh but it would've eased up in 2 more days without any more treatment."

"2 days?" Nami asked.

Doctorine nodded. "Because in 2 days, you would've died."

Nami gasped while Doctorine stood back up. "It's called the '5 day disease'. Although, there hasn't been a case of Kestia in the last 100 years. You're lucky that I kept the antibiotic just in case. Where did you guys even come from? Were you out walking around with your belly exposed in a jungle on an ancient island or something? Heeheehee...That would've been silly."

"Uh…" Nami and Emmy both shared a look before Nami laughed sheepishly at the doctor.

"That rang a bell? What a crazy girl..." Doctorine said with a shake of the head before she gave Nami a shove, forcing her to lie back down. Despite her not using a lot of force, the navigator was still too weak resist, "Stay in bed. Your treatment hasn't completely finished yet."

"I'm very grateful," Nami said when she caught her breath, "But so long as my fever is coming down, I should be okay. My body will take care of itself after that, right?"

"You're too optimistic," Doctorine said, "This disease normally takes at least 10 days to fully treat. Even with my medicine, you'll have to rest at least 3 days."

"What?!" That was enough motivation for the navigator to find the energy to sit back up, " I can't stay here for 3 days! We have to bring Vivi to Alabasta and-"

_Shing! Thud!_

The navigator found herself being pinned down to the bed by the old woman with a sharp scalpel aimed right at the base of her throat.

"Nami!" Emmy gasped as she rushed towards the navigator, only to have a scalpel pointed in her own face.

"When a patient of mine leaves me," Doctorine warned. Her eyes crinkled as she grinned, "She's either cured or dead. You decide which one you want to be."

Nami gulped while Emmy took a step back. "Well, there's no need to decide now-"

"What do you mean no need to decide? Of course I don't want to die!" Nami protested.

"Then it's settled," Doctorine said and moved away from the two girls, "You'll stay here until you're cured." She pulled out a chair that rested near a small dining table in the corner of the room and she sat down. She crossed her legs and placed the bottle on the table. That was that.

Nami glared at Emmy, who took offense to it. "Why are you looking at me like this is my fault?" the first mate asked.

"We can't stay here for 3 days! We need to get Vivi back to-"

"Oh…" Emmy's head turned towards the doorway and she stared off into the distance.

"Are you even listening to me?!" Nami asked.

Emmy, with her eyes still fixed on some imaginary point, let out a small smile. "They're awake."

"AHHHHHH! HELP!" a familiar voice cried off in the distance.

A feeling of excitement, hunger, and fear came rushing at Emmy and then Luffy and Sanji came through the doorway, chasing a terrified Chopper. They went out a door on the other side of the room and left Emmy and Nami staring curiously at their exit. Then, they came bursting through another door and ran past the women again.

"MEAT! MEAT! MEAT!" Luffy chanted as he sped past Emmy.

"Oy! I told you, Luffy, let me at least cook it first before you eat it!" Sanji shouted.

"Eh?!" Luffy suddenly froze under the original doorway they had come from and he backtracked his steps until he was standing right in between his navigator and his first mate. "Emmy? Nami…?"

"NAMI-SAN! Emmy-chan!" Sanji cried as he joined his nakama. Now that they were staying put, Emmy could see that the bandages on their hands and arms were fresh and there was no traces of blood.

"You got better!" Luffy cheered when the navigator smiled at him.

"Yes, thank you all for your help," Nami said.

Luffy spun on his heels to flash his grin at his sister. "And you're awake!"

He grabbed Emmy's hands and then held them up and out to the side while he ran his eyes all over her body. "Are you fully healed? I've never seen you sleep so deeply before. You didn't even wake up when-"

"Kya! Luffy! What are you doing?!"

As he let go of one of her hands to lift up the hem of her large shirt to verify the lack of her wounds, Emmy let out a shriek while Sanji smoothly kicked Luffy away from the first mate.

"Idiot. Don't go lifting up a girl's dress like that. What kind of pervert are you?" the cook huffed.

"You're not one to talk, Sanji-kun," Nami lectured but smiled at the return of the energetic vibe of her nakama. Even in her near death state, she could sense the somberness the last couple of days while they had tended to her.

"Okay, then, Nami-swaaan! I'll make you a nutritious venison dish to get you back on your feet!" Sanji said as he flexed his bicep.

"Venison?" Emmy gasped as Chopper crept back as sneakily as he could from behind the boys, "You can't possibly mean-"

_Thud!_

Chopper shrieked as tripped over a chair leg and alerted the pirates to his presence. He scrambled to his feet and then shot off out of the room.

"WAIIIIT!" Sanji and Luffy roared as they raced after it. Sounds of crashing metal and broken glass soon followed and Emmy winced at how much damage her nakama were inevitably causing around the doctor's property.

The doctor, however, seemed to not mind at all. "I'm surprised they can move around already."

"Luffy! Sanji! Stop!" Emmy called as she dashed off after the boys, who were significantly faster than she was. She searched high and low for the them in the large castle. She passed by many doors that were frozen shut and the ones that were opened, revealed desks covered in books and medical equipment. When she found her nakama, they were both splayed out on the floor with large bumps on their heads.

"I guess...Dr. Chopper can take care of himself," she murmured as she crouched down and rested a hand on both of the guys' shoulders, "Luffy? Sanji?"

"Damn. The venison got away," Sanji muttered as he got to his feet.

"Man. He looked so delicious too," Luffy moaned. When both he and Emmy stood back up, he threw his arms around Emmy's shoulders with such force that they wrapped around both their bodies at least twice, "Ah! Emmy! You really are all better now if you can chase after us! You really had me worried for a while...BUT! I did what you said. I got Nami to the doctor and now everyone's all better and we can find a doctor and we can take Vivi home and then we can head to Raftel and then we can-"

"You're getting too carried away, you idiot," Sanji snapped and then he placed a hand on Emmy's head, "Emmy-chan, it _is_ good to see you up and about. Even with your powers, Luffy and I were worried about your state. The avalanche really did a number on you. Your sacrifice was admirable."

"I was only trying to help," Emmy said softly as she blushed against Luffy's chest. Then she realized that he felt colder than usual. It dawned on her that he was back to wearing just his vest and shorts. "Luffy...you need a jacket."

"Nah, I'm fine. I'm indoors," Luffy said with a shrug.

"It's still pretty cold in here, though," Sanji said and he rubbed one of his arms, "How about I make us a nice pot of tea to warm us up? There's got to be a kitchen in this shitty castle somewhere. Luffy, we can go hunt that deer later."

"Oh! About him," Emmy gasped, "He-"

"Yeah, he's that woman's pet, isn't he?" Luffy said with a frown, "Might be awkward if we eat him, huh? AH! That woman! She's the doctor, isn't she?"

His one track mind took over and he released his sister from his hold. As soon as he did, though, he grabbed her by the wrist and run with her behind him. "Come on, Emmy! Let's go ask if she can join our crew!"

"Erm...I don't know if she would say yes," Emmy said but it fell on deaf ears.

* * *

"Please, old lady! Become one of my crew! Please! We need a doctor on our ship!" Luffy begged for the upteenth time. They were back in Nami's room. Nami had fallen back asleep and Sanji managed to not only bring over a pot of hot green tea but also some crackers.

"Luffy...You said that's your name, right?" Doctorine asked and held up a finger.

"Oh dear," Emmy sighed as she felt the doctor's annoyance spike.

"Did you just say 'old lady'?" Doctorine asked.

"Yeah, I did, old la-"

"WATCH WHAT YOU SAY!" Doctorine roared and sent the rubber boy sailing into the wall with a harsh kick to the stomach.

"Oof," Emmy grunted as she set down her tea mug and placed a hand on her own stomach. It wasn't painful but it definitely interfered with her beverage consumption.

"Hmph," Doctorine sniffed and sat back down in her chair, "I'm still in the youthful 130s, you know?"

"Whoa...what an incredible old hag," Sanji said.

_Thwack!_

He was sent crashing into the wall face first before he could even inhale his next cigarette smoke.

Emmy winced at the impact and she smiled apologetically at the doctor. "They are a bit crass but they mean well," she said weakly.

"Asking me to be a pirate...don't be ridiculous," Doctorine huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, "It'll be a waste of my glorious time. I'm not interested in the sea."

"Who cares? Let's go on an adventure, old-" Luffy cheered. He had already bounced back from her blow.

"Luffy...Manners..." Emmy warned as she took another sip from her mug.

"Let's go on an adventure...ma'am?" Luffy tried.

_Thwack!_

"Nope! Strike two!" Doctorine said and gave the rubber boy a harsh upper cut to the jaw.

In the corner of her eye, Emmy noticed that Chopper had returned. He was peering at them from the doorway but instead of hiding his body behind the wall, he had reversed it again so that only part of his head was hidden. "Oh, hello, Dr. Chopper," Emmy said and held up the pot of tea, "Would you like to join us for tea?"

Upon calling attention to the reindeer, Emmy realized she made a horrible mistake. Luffy's mouth watered at the sight of the animal and a gleam came to Sanji's eyes.

"AHHHHH!" Chopper screamed as he ran for his life.

"COME BACK! MEAT!" Luffy roared as he and Sanji gave chase once again.

"Wait! Luffy! Sanji! He's-" Emmy started to get up from her seat but then the entire table was flipped over by the doctor, tea set and all.

"Hold it, you brats!" Doctorine screamed as she joined in on the run.

"Oh dear," Emmy sighed at the mess created. She rubbed her hands together and then went into the next room, in search of a dust bin and broom. When she found one and brought it back to Nami's room, she saw that Chopper had returned with no one after him. He was busy closing the door to stop the drafty winds from coming in while Nami was wide awake and sitting up in her bed.

"Dr. Chopper!" Emmy said.

He spun around and slammed himself against the door.

"Please, don't be scared!," Emmy said as she took a step closer.

Chopper's nose twitched but nothing else moved.

"You've been attending me, right?" Nami asked, "Thank you."

"Yes," Emmy said and gave a bow, "Thank you for taking care of Nami and for changing the bandages for Luffy and Sanji."

"Shut up!" he roared with anger and then in the same breath, he started to wriggle with delight, "I don't wanna be thanked by humans."

He got a hold of himself and he bared his teeth. "Don't mock me!"

Then, he lost his composure and fell back into absolute joy. "You jerks..," he sang, "Don't be silly, you dummies."

Emmy laughed as she went to clean up the broken tea set and the smashed crackers. "Oh, Dr. Chopper," she said, "Would you know where our clothes are? My headband is in my apron pocket and I was just wondering if you knew where that was."

"All..of your clothes...are in the wooden chest in the room you were sleeping in," Chopper said, hesitant to engage too much with the humans. He tentatively sidestepped over to Nami and he poked her hand with one of his hooves, "Are you guys really pirates?"

"Yep," Nami said.

"Real ones?"

"Real ones," Emmy said.

"You have a flag with a skull?"

"It's attached to our ship," Nami replied and she smiled, "Are you interested in pirates?"

Nami must've hit the nail on the head because Emmy felt his surprise and shame before he hurriedly backed away from the navigator. In his haste, he slammed against a bookcase on the opposite wall and knocked the top books off its' shelves.

_Thud! Thud! Thud!_

Smoothly, Emmy caught all of the books that were going to drop right on top of Chopper's head and let the rest fall to the ground. He looked up at her and his blue nose twitched even more.

"Are you alright?" Emmy asked, "These books are very heavy. Have you read all of these?"

"Nice…" he whispered with awe.

Emmy blinked. "Pardon?"

"Ah!" Chopper snapped out of whatever it was that caught his attention and he shrank against the bookcase, "N-Nothing! Never mind! Forget I said anything! Forget I even mentioned pirates!"

"Really?" Emmy asked and she knelt down so they were eye level, "Are you sure you don't want to come with us?"

"What?!" Chopper gasped.

"Yeah! To the sea," Nami agreed, "Why don't you come with us? If you do, that'll help me a lot! If we have a doctor on our ship, I won't have to stay here for 3 days, right? On top of that, on our ship, we have-"

"D-Don't be ridiculous!" Chopper exclaimed, "I'm a reindeer! There's no way I can stay with humans!"

"If that's how you really feel," Emmy said with a sigh. She straightened up her legs and started to put the books back in their original place.

"D-don't you guys get scared when you see me?" Chopper asked quietly, "I'm a reindeer but I stand on two legs and I even speak…"

"Do you want us to be scared of you?" Nami asked.

"My...my nose is blue too," Chopper said. His head lowered and his shoulders slumped.

The room became very quiet but then the solemn moment was completely destroyed when the rubber boy and cook came skidding into the room.

"THERE YOU ARE, REINDEER!" Luffy shouted.

"AHHHH!"

The girls watched the dust cloud Chopper, Sanji, and Luffy kicked up clear away and then Nami looked at Emmy. "He actually does want to come with us, doesn't he?"

Emmy smiled and returned to her book organizing, "Ah."

"Then why didn't you say anything?"

"Because he hasn't admitted it to himself," Emmy said, "It's not my place to tell someone how they feel if they don't want to acknowledge it themselves."

Doctorine entered the room and she straightened up her fallen chair. She used the back of the chair for support as she stretched her legs. "Those brats sure are quick," she sighed and then sat down, "I don't like it one bit."

"Like what, Doctorine-san?" Emmy asked, not looking away from the books.

"Are you two trying to tempt the reindeer behind my back?"

Nami grinned. "Oh? Didn't know I needed permission to make a move on a man."

Doctorine cackled. "No, you don't. If you want to take him, go right ahead but it won't be easy."

She leaned forward in her chair and rested her arms against her long, slender legs, "He has a scar in his heart...It's a big scar that even I can't cure. You, girly, with the Devil Fruit. You felt what was in his heart?"

"...Yes."

"It's closed shut, isn't it?"

"...Yes," Emmy admitted as she placed the last book on the shelf. Then she turned and grinned at the doctor, "Luckily, I know the best treatment to open a heart back up."

"Your power?"

"My brother."


	48. I am Here to Ensure Peace and Quiet.

Emmy was on a roll. She finished cleaning Nami's room, down to clearing the mess Chopper had left behind in the storage room adjacent to it. Since she had her apron back on and managed to find all the necessary cleaning equipment, she figured why stop there? She had moved on to the other rooms and was busy tidying up whatever room was opened and showed signs of use by Doctorine and Chopper.

She had just finished straightening up an office area and was walking down the hallway, when she passed by Luffy and Chopper in another room. Chopper was doing a tremendous balancing act as he struggled to stand on one leg while beakers were stacked on his antlers and he held plates of delicate lab equipment in each hand. What made this feat even more amazing was that he was holding firm while Luffy was tickling his sides.

"Shishishishishi," Luffy roared with laughter, "So funny!"

"Shut up! Go away!" Chopper screamed.

"Ah! Luffy. Stop it! You're going to make a mess," Emmy said as she leaned her broom and dustbin against the wall and hurriedly took Chopper's burdens off his hands. She set them all carefully down on one of the three wooden desks lined up against the window.

"Th-thank you," Chopper sighed with relief.

"Won't you become my nakama? I really like you!" Luffy said excitedly, not taking his eyes of his prize, "Be a pirate!"

"I-I-I'm not interested in pirates at all!" Chopper insisted, "I never wanted a friend either!"

"If you become my nakama, my other nakama will all be happy," Luffy said, "Right, Emmy?"

Emmy smiled and nodded at the reindeer, "It would be a pleasure to have you with us, Dr. Chopper."

"S-S-Stop it! Just leave me alone!" Chopper said as he brushed past Luffy and stormed out of the room.

"Come oooonnnn," Luffy whined and followed the reindeer.

Emmy giggled and started to wipe each beaker with a rag when she heard the distinct sounds of a plate being broken. She sighed and made a mental note to go back to Nami's room to clean up whatever mess was made. The cause of it could either be Luffy and Chopper's chasing game or it could just be a sudden blow from the volatile Doctorine. At this point, Emmy was used to either occurrences and it was a toss up of who was doing the most damage.

"DON'T WORRY, EMMY-CHAN! I'LL CLEAN IT UP!" the cook cried in the distance.

"Thank you, Sanji!" Emmy called back.

Emmy finished up organizing and dusting the room and then moved on. She went down the grand spiral, stone stairwell that led to the foyer of the castle. She found her brother standing in the middle of the floor with his hands cupped around his lips.

"Oy! Reindeer! Come out! Join us and become our friend!" he yelled.

"Did you lose him?" Emmy asked.

"Yeah," Luffy dropped his hands and pouted for a moment. Then his eyes met Emmy's and it gleamed instantly with an idea, "Ooh! Emmy! I'm glad you're here!"

He grabbed her and put her in front of him. "Reindeer! I have a tasty snack for you!"

Emmy blinked. "I don't think Dr. Chopper eats humans so our usual bait tactic wouldn't work in this case."

She felt a flash of confusion from a room in the corner but she decided to keep it to herself. If Chopper didn't want to be found by her brother, Emmy would respect his wishes. Fortunately, she didn't need to get involved as Luffy started to head in Chopper's direction on his own. Of course, it wasn't because he spotted the reindeer. It was because something else had caught his eye.

"Ooh! This looks tasty!" Luffy cheered as he made his way into the castle's pantry. He helped himself to a platter of fruit laid out on top of a cabinet. He munched on an apple and he yelled out towards the door, still not willing to leave his reindeer game, "Come on! It's cool to be a pirate!"

"Luffy, pace yourself. We're pirate. Not barbarians," Emmy sighed as her brother swallowed an apple whole and then lifted the whole plate of fruit to his opened jaws.

Luffy froze for a moment and then he nodded solemnly. "Thanks for the food," he said before he widened his mouth and proceeded to jam the entire plate down his throat, fruit and all.

"That's not what I-GAK," Emmy said as her hands went to her throat when Luffy started to choke. She fell to her knees.

"AH! What's wrong?" Chopper leapt out from his hiding place from behind the crate and rushed over to Emmy, "Is it your throat? Let me take a look!"

"Whoops! Sorry, Emmy!" Luffy grinned after he pulled out the plate and happily continue on his snacking.

Emmy coughed and then she smiled apologetically up at the confused reindeer. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to startle you, Dr. Chopper. I'm fine. It was just my power...That's all."

"Power?"

"I ate the Feel Feel Fruit. I'm an empath," Emmy said as she got up to her feet and frowned disapprovingly at her brother, who returned the frown with his carefree grin.

Chopper blinked. "Are...are you guys really pirates?"

"Yes, Dr. Chopper," Emmy said with a polite bow.

"Like I've been saying, join us!" Luffy exclaimed, "It's fun to be a pirate. Pirates sing too!"

"What? Th-they sing?" Chopper asked and took one step away from the rubber boy.

"Yeah and they dance too!" Luffy said.

"You call that being a pirate?!" Chopper asked incredulously.

"Of course! And they go on lots of adventures too. Right, Emmy?" Luffy grinned.

Emmy nodded. "Yep."

"Adventures? So pirates go on adventures then?" Chopper asked.

"Of course! Pirates risk their lives to go on adventures," Luffy insisted, "And you get to meet lots of amazing people!"

"And some of them become your nakama," Emmy said and she matched her brother's smile, "You can be one of ours too."

"D-D-Don't be ridiculous!" Chopper exclaimed as doubt and fear took over his heart and he ran out the room, "I'm a reindeer! With a blue nose!'

"Exactly!" Luffy shouted and began his hunt once more.

"If you're going to run, at least do it outside so you two don't make a mess!" Emmy called out after them and then began to straighten up the pantry. She held up a jar and clucked her tongue. "Oh dear...This is probably expired already. I'll ask Sanji when he has the moment."

She was busy sorting through all the jarred and canned goods from good, expired, and possibly expired into three separate groups when she felt the distinct emotions of entitlement and self-importance. She gasped and the jar in her hand slipped out.

_Crash!_

Before the jar even shattered along the stone floor, Emmy was already out the door and up the stairs. "Luffy! Someone is coming. A Noble! A Noble is-"

She stopped short when she felt the surge of anger from her brother's bond and just then a four legged reindeer with Chopper's hat came shooting past her.

"Doctorine! Doctorine! There's a problem!"

"Dr. Chopper?" Emmy gasped, recognizing the voice but not his form. She followed the reindeer and they both ran into Nami's room. Doctorine sat in her chair while Sanji stood by Nami, who was sitting up in her bed. There was a somber feeling throughout the room but Emmy decided to dwell on it later. There was another situation that needed their attention. Emmy didn't know the details but the level of panic coming from the reindeer was proof enough.

"Doctorine! Wapol is back!" Chopper cried.

"Is that so?" Doctorine said solemnly as she got up to her feet.

Suddenly, the fragments of the dream she had came rushing back to her and Emmy's eyes widened. "That wasn't a dream...was it? We ran into him on our way here to the castle…"

"Ah. We did," Sanji said and he stuffed his hands into his pockets, "But we managed to avoid a fight with him and two other idiots."

"How?"

* * *

_-Flashback: 4 Hours Earlier-_

Sanji cradled the first mate in his arms while he trudged through the snow up towards the base of the mountain. "You just rest, little lady. I got you now."

Emmy was starting to heal from her wounds and she looked better than when Sanji had first found her but she still looked like a mess. Blood mixed with ice crusted along her forehead and cheeks and one of her arms was a nasty shade of purple.

Luffy had given Sanji back Emmy's cloak when Sanji set off to retrieve her and he had covered her with it. Mostly it was to keep the first mate warm but also to hide how much damage her upper body had sustained. He had to reveal her delicately to her brother or else god knows what Luffy might accidentally put poor Nami-san through.

The avalanche had created a blank slate in its wake so it wasn't hard for the cook to find and follow his captain's tracks. When Sanji managed to catch up to Luffy, they were nearing the foot of the mountain.

"Don't worry, Luffy!" Sanji reassured immediately, "She just needs to sleep and she can recover. Like how she was at Arlong Park. She'll be-"

Sanji stopped short when the captain returned to walking. The captain had only taken one long look at his sister and then continued on his way, not speaking a word. He just kept his head low, his hat tilted down, and sped up his pace. When he turned his back towards the cook, Sanji noticed that his knuckles were white as the snow at his feet. His grip had tightened around Nami, securing her even more to his back.

Luffy kept quiet when the annoying metal mouth appeared. He didn't even make a peep when him and Sanji had to run as fast as they could to avoid Wapol's attacks. It was only when the Lapins had appeared and protected them from an unavoidable aerial assault did the rubber boy finally speak.

"Thank you very much for your assistance," he said solemnly to the Lapins and gave them a bow that resembled that of his sister's before he continued on his way.

Sanji noticed that the baby Lapin was riding on the back of the Lapin with the scar on his face. Both of them raised their arms to Luffy as a salute. Something happened between them and Luffy but the cook knew better than to ask. The captain was definitely not in the mood for idle chatter. Neither of them were.

* * *

Sanji and Doctorine made their way to the door and as Sanji passed Emmy, he put a hand to her head. "That's not important, Emmy-chan. We'll take care of him for good this time."

"Please be careful," Emmy said, "That guy...He's...not a pirate...He's a Nob-"

"I know, Emmy-chan," Sanji said as he put an unlit cigarette to his lips.

"You do?" Emmy asked.

"Apparently, this was his castle."

"WHAT?!"

"Doctorine told me and Nami-san the details but don't worry about it. You just stay here with Nami-san. Make sure she isn't disturbed. Leave that bucket mouth to me and Luffy."

"Oh...Okay," Emmy said and she stepped aside, unsure why there was a rise in anger in the cook, "Please be careful. Your wounds are still fresh."

"Of course, little lady," Sanji replied as he walked away.

Nami's eyes narrowed and a sly smile crossed her lips. As soon as the cook left the room and closed the door behind him, she flung off her blanket and lowered her feet to the ground. "Come on, Emmy!"

"What?"

"Since the doctor's not here, we can sneak out! Come on. This is our chance or else we're going to be stuck here for 3 more days!"

Emmy was astonished by Nami's suggestion. "We can't just sneak out! You're still not fully recovered and-"

"I feel fine!" Nami insisted.

"I'm sure we can talk to Doctorine-san."

"Are you kidding? With the way she reacted the first time? There's no way she'll let me go."

"We just have to explain the circumstances," Emmy pleaded, "She's a strict doctor but she's not unkind. I think we can negotiate-"

"No. To negotiate you need leverage and we don't have leverage!"

Emmy sighed and she held her hand out. "Feel Feel Repose."

"Why you...goody...two shoes…" Nami murmured as she slumped forward into the first mate's arms.

"I'm sorry...but I think it's worth talking to Doctorine-san," Emmy said and moved the first mate back to her bed.

When she was just about finished tucking in the navigator, she paused when she felt a flicker in Luffy's bond. She stood back up and quietly left Nami's room and closed the door behind her. She then went into the room where all their clothes were. She opened up the wooden chest and took out Luffy's jacket. She brought it to the edge of the stairwell. She held out the jacket by the shoulders just as Luffy came rushing up the stairs.

"Clothes! Clothes! Clothes! So cold! " Luffy cried while furiously rubbing his arms. He swiped the jacket right out of Emmy's hands, "Ah! Thanks, Emmy!"

He left as quick as he appeared.

"Be careful, Luffy!" Emmy called out after him.

"Ah! Leave it to me! I'll get that annoying mouth."

"And please try to be quiet! Nami is sleeping!"

"Got it!"

Emmy smoothed out her apron and then headed back down to the pantry. She hadn't forgotten about the jar she had broke. In the background, she could hear shouting mostly from her brother and the cook but it would be interrupted by the grating laughter of Wapol.

It took her much longer to clean up the pantry than the other rooms because of how much her mind wandered. Whenever she felt flashes of surprise coming from her bonds, Emmy would pause in her clean-up and contemplate going out to help out. The surprise, though, would soon be replaced by confidence and curiosity, which would put the first mate at ease. She was still slightly concerned with the state of the cook's hands and she hoped he wasn't over-exerting himself in the fight.

She had finally wiped away the last speck of dust when her brother's wall shot up with rage.

"THIS FLAG ISN'T SOMETHING YOU CAN JUST BREAK WHILE LAUGHING FOOLISHLY!"

Emmy looked up to the ceiling, since that was where her brother's angered cry had seemed to come from. "Flag?" she asked outloud.

"THE SKULL IS A PIRATE'S CONVICTION!"

Emmy rushed upstairs to put on her cloak and mittens. She had told the cook that she would stay back and look after Nami but the first mate figured the best way to make sure the navigator wasn't disturbed was to make sure the disturbance was kept outside and at a manageable volume.

When she got out to the front, she was startled to find the state of the attackers. She had expected Wapol but she didn't expect him to look like he had swallowed a house. In fact, he actually looked like one made with metal siding. He even had a blue wooden door right where his belly button would be.

In front of him stood a weird hourglass with two faces, one at the top and one at the bottom. One face had a frizzy black mustache with black pom poms at the end of it and the other face had a jaggedy smile.

"Wahahha. I won't let you lay a finger on Wapol-sama!" the hourglass figure laughed with dual voices.

"Who...who is that?" Emmy gasped as she rushed to stand by Doctorine, who was guarding the door with Chopper and Sanji.

"Two idiots that guard the fake king," Sanji said as he puffed on his cigarette, "Emmy-chan, you didn't have to come outside. We have this covered."

Emmy smoothed out her apron and brushed past the cook. She looked up towards the roof of the castle, in an effort to locate her brother. "I told Luffy to try to be quiet but I think he forgot already. I'm just here to ensure Nami gets some peace and quiet...Oh, there he is..."

Luffy was standing at the pinnacle of the castle tower. He held firmly to a flagpole that waved a black flag with a jolly roger on it. He was a missing a sleeve and his whole jacket and face looked burnt. However, he had a giant grin on his face.

"What...what is that flag?" Emmy asked.

"That's Doctor's flag and I will protect it!" Chopper shouted with conviction towards the hourglass figure and Wapol.

The hourglass figure laughed. "Seems like you're the 'yeti' the citizens got worked up about at one time. You must have really spent your whole life disliked by everyone. You poor monster. Why's a loner like you trying to save this country? Don't make me laugh!"

"Shut up! Even if I don't have friends, I can still fight!" Chopper yelled back, "As long as Doctor's flag exists, I will-"

"You do have friends!" Luffy thundered from above, "I….am...your...nakama!"

He slingshotted himself using the secured flagpole and rocketed right into the Wapol house, sending his target and mounds of snow flying into the air.

"AHHHH!" Wapol and the hourglass figures screamed.

"Nihihihihi," Luffy laughed as he got to his feet.

"Are you okay?!" Chopper cried.

"I'm just fine since I'm a rubber man," Luffy said and then pointed at the hourglass figure, "Hey, reindeer. Can you finish that guy?"

"Someone like that is a piece of cake," Chopper stated.

"Yosh!," Luffy said. He began to stretch and limber up his arms, "I'm going after that annoying mouth."

"Oy, Luffy," Sanji said, "Let me get in a few good kicks too. I haven't forgotten how he tried to attack Nami-san and Emmy-chan in their delicate state."

"Ah." Luffy tilted his head over his eyes, "Me neither."

"Heeheeheehee," Doctorine cackled as she folded her arms over her chest and leaned against the doorframe, "My, how energetic they are…"

"My name is Tony Tony Chopper!" Chopper declared, "It's a name that the world's greatest doctor gave me. Even if Doctor forgave you, I won't forgive you for laughing at how he lived."

Emmy folded her hands in front of her and she smiled at the back of the reindeer's head. It was the most assertive he had felt to her all day. She didn't know the story behind this Doctor he spoke of nor the real meaning behind the flag that Luffy was clearly protecting. However, like her brother with his sandals, Emmy had her own policy. She'll learn people's stories when they are ready to share it with her directly. Maybe, if Luffy gets his way and most likely he will, Chopper will join their crew and tell her his story himself. Until then, she was happy to be left in the dark.

There was something she knew for sure, though. Her brother was right. The skull is a pirate's conviction and attempting to damage the Doctor's skull was bringing out the conviction in Chopper.

"A reindeer human..." Emmy mused to herself, "With a pirate heart."


	49. I am Making a Wish.

Luffy's eyes gleamed and his teeth flashed under the sunlight. "Whoooahhh! Se-Se-Seven Transformations?!"

_Thwack!_

"Luffy! Pay attention!" Sanji shouted as he tackled Luffy to the ground to avoid getting gobbled up by Wapol's enormous mouth.

Emmy sighed and smiled apologetically at Doctorine. Both women stood at the door as they watched the two separate battles take place. Although, it was much more of a battle between Chopper and the hourglass person (people?). Emmy still couldn't figure out what it was. If Chopper's transformations wasn't so alluring to the captain, the fight with Wapol would've ended a long time ago except the captain didn't even glance at the bucket mouth's way and the cook was too busy making sure his captain didn't turn into Wapol's chewing gum.

"Seven...Seven Transformations!" Luffy said, too lost in awe.

"Arm Point! Arm Boost!" Chopper cried as he morphed from a big fur ball into a human form with bulging biceps. He swung his hooves and smashed right through the hourglass figure's wooden hammers, "My iron hooves can smash even rocks!"

"Amazing!" Luffy cheered.

_Kaboom!_

"Luffy! Pay attention!" Emmy and Sanji lectured in unison as Wapol's arm turned into a cannon and he shot it towards the captain and cook. Luffy and Sanji had to jump away from each other in order to avoid getting blasted.

Suddenly, Emmy found herself standing toe to toe with Wapol, who had used the explosion as an opportunity to get into the castle. Because of his enhanced height, she was staring right at his waist line. Then she slowly tilted her head up until their eyes met. He glared at her and opened up his mouth once more. "Get out of my way!"

"Get away from her!" came the angered duet of Luffy and Sanji.

_Thwack!_

Sanji's kick from above sent Wapol's top lip smashing down into his bottom one while Luffy's arms grabbed Wapol from behind.

"Shishishi. My turn! One...two…" Luffy jumped and began to zealously spin his torso around his hips.

"Ah! Wapol-sama!" the hourglass figure cried from behind.

"What...What are you going to do?" Wapol gasped, unable to turn around and see what the captain was up to, "Unhand me! I'm the king! I'm the king!"

"Idiot. Like that means anything to us," Sanji said as he ashed his cigarette and casually moved Emmy a step back.

"The-The Drum Kingdom is a member of the World Government," Wapol tried, "Harming me is a world-class offense!"

"Doesn't matter because we're pirates," Luffy grinned as he stopped his spiralling and pressed his feet to to Wapol's back, "This is our own fight! Gum Gum Bow Gun!"

"There it is! Your weak spot! Your jaw!" Chopper shouted at the same time from behind, "Hoofprint Roseo!"

_Thwack!_

Both Wapol and his henchman - men? - were sent hurtling up into the air. The former king shot straight upwards by Luffy's spinning kick while the hourglass figure sailed off and over the edge of the mountain. The rubber boy wasn't done yet. He hadn't forgotten his cook's request.

"Sanji!" Luffy shouted.

"This is for Nami-san and Emmy-chan," Sanji said as he leapt up into the air to meet the falling bucket mouth.

"And Merry-san!" Emmy called up.

"Right," Sanji said, "Poitrine Shoot!" He kicked Wapol right in the chest and sent him back into the sky, following the trajectory of the hourglass figure.

Silence filled the air but the rubber boy was never one to keep still for long. "All right!" he cheered, "You're pretty good, reindeer. That was amazing!"

"Shut up!" Chopper said as he pulled his hat over his eyes. It wasn't enough, though, to hide how red his cheeks had gotten.

"Hey...reindeer…" Luffy grinned.

"Huh?" Chopper raised his head and then his face paled when he saw a familiar look in Luffy's eyes. The both of them moved at the same time as they went back to their chasing game.

"Ahhhhh!" Chopper screamed, sprinting right in between Emmy and Doctorine to get back inside the castle.

"Hey! Be my nakama!" Luffy exclaimed.

As soon as they left, the sounds of mechanical whirring came from the ground and then a metal box sprang out from the snow at the edge of the mountain. The front of the box fell forward and a familiar shock of green stepped out with a long nosed man crouched behind him.

"Oy! Let go," Zoro blustered.

"It's okay. I got your back," Usopp hissed.

"If you're that scared, you should've just come later with the rest of the group," Zoro grunted.

"Zoro? Usopp?" Emmy asked. She was unsure why Zoro was not wearing the winter jacket she had prepared for him. Instead, he was wearing one of the fur lined green ones that Wapol's men had worn when they attacked their ship.

"Eh? Emmy?" Zoro and Usopp glanced up from their bickering.

"RAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Luffy shouted from the rooftop as he soared down towards his nakama in a blinding rage.

"What?!" Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, and Emmy gasped just as the rubber boy clotheslined the swordsman and the sniper to the ground.

"How did he get up there so fast?" Emmy wondered as she looked back up at the rooftop, just in time to see a trace of a pink top hat scurry around the top of the tower.

"That was great," Sanji said, reveling at how the swordsman's arms and legs were sticking out of the snow, "Do it again, Luffy."

Zoro got out of the snow. He wasn't sure who to glare at first so he just kept a scowl fixed on his face. "Shut up, you stupid cook and Luffy! What'd you do that for, you jerk?!'

"Shishishishishi," Luffy laughed as he got to his feet. "Oh, it's you guys. Sorry. I saw your coat, Zoro, and I thought you were one of them. So you guys came up too."

"Luffy! Everyone!" Vivi came rushing out of the metal box and she joined the group, "How is Nami-san? Eh? Usopp? What are you doing covered in snow?"

"She's great! We found the doctor and Nami's all better now," Luffy said with a grin.

"Oh yes...Nami," Emmy said as she made her towards the castle.

"Where are you going, Emmy?" Usopp asked as Vivi helped him to his feet.

Emmy raised her hand and dangled a key from her finger. She had spotted it when Wapol had appeared right in front of her and swiped it when he was preoccupied with Luffy on his back. "Giving her her leverage."

"Eh?"

* * *

"Screw that! We need to find the treasure room and get as much as we can, then leave!" Nami insisted as she held tightly onto the key like it was the key to her very own existence.

Emmy couldn't believe her ears and she gawked at the greedy navigator. "You don't want to use it as leverage for Doctorine-san? We could give it to her as payment and bargain with her to let you leave early!"

"I told you, she's not going to want to bargain!" Nami argued, "There's no way-"

"Nami-san!" Vivi came rushing in through the door and she threw her arms around the navigator, "I'm so glad you're okay!"

Relief washed over the princess and feeling it made the first mate happy. The princess genuinely cared for Emmy's nakama. There was no question about it anymore.

"Thanks, Vivi," Nami said, "We'll get you to Alabasta soon. I promise."

"Not too soon," Doctorine warned as she entered with a bunch of men carrying a heavily bandaged Dalton, "You're not entirely cured yet and you need to finish treatment."

"Dalton-san!" Emmy gasped. A bed was brought into the room and Dalton was left in it.

"He'll be fine," Doctorine said and then took a swig from her bottle, "Now...Dalton...For your payment, I just want to know where the key to the arsenal is."

"K-Key to the arsenal?" Dalton asked, "Why do you need such a thing?"

"It's none of your business," Doctorine huffed.

"The key was always carried by Wapol from long ago," Dalton said, "So...if that's still the case..based on what we just saw, it flew off with Wapol into the sky…"

"What? Damn it," Doctorine cursed.

Nami looked over at Emmy and she scowled. Without using her powers, Emmy could already tell that the navigator was hating the fact that the first mate was getting her way.

"Doctorine?" Nami asked, plastering a smile across her face, "About treatment fee for our crew, would you make it all free? Also, would you discharge me right away?"

"Tch. Did you ask for the heck of it knowing that it was impossible?" Doctorine shot back, "Like I said to you before, as my fee, I'll take the entire cargo and money on your ship...And you'll stay here and rest at least for two more days."

"Nami-san, she's right! You should be treated all the way," Vivi said.

"I'll be fine since I don't feel like I'm dying. Emmy, does it feel like I'm dying?" Nami asked.

Emmy shook her head. "Not at all."

Nami grinned. "See?"

"That can't be a reason!" Vivi insisted.

Nami's grin never left as she pulled out her hand from under the covers and swung the key in Doctorine's direction. "You need the key to the arsenal, right?"

"What?!" Dalton sat right up from his bed, "Why do you have that key?"

"Is that the right one?! How'd you get it?" Doctorine asked.

"I took it when I saw it on Dalton's belt," Emmy admitted, "The keyhead design matched the engraving on the locks on the castle...I figured it was worth taking."

Doctorine frowned and stormed right up to the pirates. "You have guts dictating terms to me like that."

Emmy and Nami smiled back at her.

"Fine," Doctorine conceded and took the key, "You don't have to pay my fee...But that's all."

She headed for the door. "I can't accept the other term as a doctor."

"Wait! If that's the case, I can't give the key to you! Give it back!" Nami shouted.

The doctor spun on her heels and pointed a finger right at the navigator. "Listen, girl! I have to leave this room now to take care of things. I'm taking all the men with me and leaving this room unguarded as well as the other room, where all the rest of your coats and things are. Also, the other treatments of your nakama are complete. But listen, don't you dare escape!"

She then glared at the men standing in the room. "You guys, come with me! I need you for heavy lifting!"

She left the room with her nose in the air and when the last man exited, the door was closed swiftly behind him.

Nami sighed. "She just told us to get our things, gather up the boys, and escape using this chance."

"That's what it sounded to me too…" Vivi murmured.

"You guys go ahead…" Emmy said as she looked out the window. The sun was starting to set, "I'll meet you out in the front."

"Where are you going?" Nami asked as Emmy walked towards the door.

Emmy stopped and she grinned at the navigator. "It's a full moon tonight."

"Oh yeah…" Nami said with a smile, "A full moon…Well then...we'll see you in a bit, Emmy."

Emmy bowed and left a confused princess alone with the navigator as she headed up towards the roof.

* * *

"May I sit here with you?"

Chopper's nose twitched and then he nodded up at the first mate, who stood next to him on the eaves that surrounded the castle roof.

"Thank you, Dr. Chopper," Emmy said as she sat herself down and looked up at the darkening sky.

"You…"

If the night air wasn't so quiet, Emmy wouldn't have caught the reindeer's faint murmur. She glanced down at him and she smiled. "Yes, Dr. Chopper?"

"You...aren't going to ask me to join you guys?"

"That's not why I'm here," Emmy said and then looked back up. Being at the top of a castle that rested on the highest point of the island gave the first mate an unobstructed view of the night sky. Snow and stars were speckled across it and the moon was as big as Emmy had ever seen. It looked like another planet. An entirely different world. It was funny how far it felt to her

even though it never looked so close.

She kept her eyes on the moon but her attention on her seatmate. "Do you _want_ me to ask?"

There was a pause and then the reindeer pulled his hat over his eyes. "This is for the best...I can't leave this place…" he said.

"Okay," Emmy said. She brought her hands together in front of her chest and closed her eyes.

"What are you doing?" Chopper asked.

"Making a wish," Emmy said, "I always make a wish during a full moon."

"A wish?"

"Yes," Emmy said, "But it has to be a small wish...Something you think can be fulfilled by the next full moon…"

"Why?"

There was another pause and then Emmy lowered her hands and smiled at the reindeer. "So that you have something to look forward to for the next full moon. A doctor taught me that, you know?"

"A doctor?"

Emmy nodded. "Yes. It was her treatment for me. One small wish, to be applied every full moon."

"Treatment for what? Were you sick?"

"I was suffering from a deadly disease...The loss of the will to live...The doctor gave me something to wait for...to work for…" Emmy smiled. "Even though I no longer am living a dreamless life, I still make a wish...as a way to remember the doctor. To thank her."

"What happened to her?"

"I don't know," Emmy admitted, "But I hope she is doing well…"

"Did you become a pirate so you could find her?" Chopper asked.

Emmy shook her head. "No...I came out to sea for myself," she said and then she smiled again at the reindeer, "Which is why I won't ask you to join. It is your decision to make, not mine. Although, I would very much like you to be our nakama."

Emmy then took a deep breath and put her hands to her side. "Alright. I've made my wish and I'm all done here. I'm sorry for bothering you. I know you probably wanted to be left alone."

She started to push herself up to her feet when Chopper stopped her. "No...you can stay, if you want. You're...you're not bothering me." She looked at him as his nose twitched. "You smell...nice…"

"Eh?"

"You...have a nice smell...I don't know what it is...It's nothing I've ever smelled before but the scent...makes me feel good," he said and then blushed for such a bold statement.

Emmy blinked. "I wonder if it's a natural thing or because of my devil fruit…That might be why I attract animals so easily..."

"Ah...I'm an animal," Chopper whispered and she felt his heart drop, "I have antlers...and hooves...and a blue nose…I don't belong in the human world."

"You probably don't," Emmy agreed as she got up to her feet, feeling his heart drop even further, "But then again...I don't think I belong either. After all, isn't that what pirates are? People that just can't live in normal society?"

"Yeah but...I'm a reindeer...Not human..."

"Are you sure about that?" Emmy asked as she walked away, "Because you feel pretty human to me..."

* * *

"Hey! Reindeer! Let's be pirates together! Hey! Reindeer!" Luffy stood stubbornly at the front of the castle and shouted up towards the heavens. He was trying a new tactic. Instead of running around looking for the reindeer, have the reindeer come to him. The reindeer couldn't hide forever.

"No luck?" Emmy asked as she walked out the castle to join her nakama. Usopp was busy making another snow sculpture while Zoro did some one handed pushups and Sanji, Nami, and Vivi each enjoyed a thermos of hot chocolate.

Luffy pouted at his sister. "Where is he? If he doesn't get out here soon, he's not going to be able to make a wish with the rest of us."

"Oh...I already made my wish," Emmy said as she looked down at her feet.

"WHAT?!" Luffy's jaw dropped, "You...you already made a wish without me?"

"I'm sorry," Emmy said, "You were so busy chasing Dr. Chopper, I didn't think you'd-"

"MOON!" Luffy suddenly roared up to the heavens, "I WISH FOR EMMY TO HAVE A SECOND WISH!"

"Idiot. That's not how it works," Sanji scoffed and then he realized what he had said. He looked curiously over at Emmy, "Er...How does it work again, Emmy-chan?"

Emmy giggled. "You just tell the moon if your previous wish was granted and then make a new one, if you have."

"Yosh! Moon! I wish for-" Luffy shouted.

"Didn't you say you wanted to wait for Tony-kun?!" Nami demanded.

"Oh yeah..Reindeer! Moon! Reindeer! Moon!" Luffy chanted.

"What kind of weird spell is he trying to cast?" Zoro grunted in between a pushup.

"Luffy...just give it up," Usopp sighed, "He hasn't shown up even after all our efforts to find him."

"He doesn't wanna be a pirate," Zoro agreed.

"That's not true. I wanna take him with us," Luffy stated.

Zoro fell flat on his face out of sheer frustration. "You're just basing this on what you want!"

"Come out! Reindeer!" Luffy screamed.

"Are you even listening to me?!" Zoro seethed.

"...Give up...I'm not coming with you…"

Luffy stopped sucking air into his lungs and he grinned at the reindeer, who stepped out from behind a tree.

"Hey! Reindeer! Come on! Let's be pirates together!" Luffy shouted.

"It's not possible," Chopper insisted with his head low.

"Yes, it is since it's fun!"

"That makes no sense!" Usopp couldn't help but shout from the sidelines.

Chopper's arms tensed up at his side and he glared at the pirates. "I'm a reindeer! I have antlers and hooves! I even have a blue nose!" he shouted and then his shoulders slumped in defeat, "It's true that...that I wanna be a pirate but...I'm not even a human! I'm a monster! I can't become your friend! So…So...I just came to say...thank you…"

He took a steadying breath and his hooves fell to his side. "I appreciate all that you guys have done and I want to say thank you for asking me to join you...I'll stay here but...One day, if you feel like it, stop by ag-"

"SHUT UP AND LET'S GOOOOOOOOO!" Luffy exclaimed and punched his fists in the air.

The last of Chopper's resolve was blown away by the rubber boy and tears filled his eyes. Nami smiled while Emmy bowed her head to the reindeer.

"Who asks someone to join a crew by telling them to 'shut up'?" Zoro huffed as he resumed his work out.

"Y...Yes, sir!," Chopper cried.

"Yeah, don't call him that. No one should ever call Luffy that," Usopp advised but no one was listening.


	50. I am Someone's Type.

As the Going Merry set sail off of what was formerly known as Drum Kingdom, all eyes were on the back of the ship, rather than the front. The clouds that rested at the top of the Drum Rockies was stained pink by unusual cannonfire that saluted the pirates when they left the castle. The pink clouds shrouded around the top of the column-like mountain and made it look like a giant cherry blossom tree. Whatever they had shot into the air had also stained the snow and pink flurries cascaded down onto the island like flower petals.

It was a sight to behold and no one was more mesmerized and touched by it than the new recruit. Chopper stood at the stern with his eyes glued to his home. He hadn't said a word since they left the island.

"Is Chopper okay?" Usopp whispered to Emmy.

Emmy nodded. "Let's just give him a moment."

"He's experiencing what it's like to set out on a journey as a man," Sanji said.

"Yeah. He is about to leave the island he's spent his entire life in," Vivi added.

The crew left the reindeer to his thoughts and got themselves settled back into their ship. Soon, there was a full blown party on the deck with Luffy did a silly dance with chopsticks stuck between his nostrils and lips and the boys howling with laughter.

"Come on! Chopper! How long are you gonna be in a daze like that?!" Usopp cried as he flung an arm over the reindeer's shoulders, jolting Chopper from his thoughts, "Come on! Have a drink with us?"

"Drink?" Chopper asked.

"Come over and sing!" Sanji said as he shoved Usopp out of the way and grinned at Chopper.

"Sing?"

"Here! Stick these chopsticks up your nose!" Luffy suggested, offering Chopper the ones that were just stuck in his own orifices.

Nami recoiled from the gesture and punched Luffy in the head. "That is disgusting! Chopper, our nakama are some weird guys, aren't they?"

"Na...nakama?' Chopper repeated.

"That's right. They're over the top but since you're one of us now, you'll have to get used to it," Nami said with a grin.

"Dr. Chopper! Could you come take a look at Carue-san?" Emmy asked as she knelt by the duck with Vivi. The duck was blue all over and frozen stiff and Emmy had draped him with a blanket in an attempt to help.

"Carue…" Vivi cried, " What were you doing frozen in the river?"

"Qu-Qu-Qu-Quack," Carue stuttered, "Quack quack quack quack!"

"Tch, he probably slipped or something. He's a clumsy one," Zoro chuckled.

"Oh...he says that the guy named Zoro was swimming in the river and disappeared," Chopper explained as he walked over towards the duck, "He thought Zoro was in trouble so he jumped into the river and got frozen."

Vivi and Emmy's jaw dropped.

"So it was _your_ fault!" Nami shouted as she gave Zoro a harsh punch to the head.

"We...we are so sorry!" Emmy said as she bowed fervently to Vivi and Carue, "As guests on our ship, your safety and well-being should not be taken lightly."

"That's okay," Vivi said as she winced just at the sight of the large welt forming on Zoro's head, "But...more importantly, Tony-kun...you can understand what Carue is saying?"

Chopper nodded. "Yes, I'm an animal by nature so I can talk with animals."

"That's incredible, Chopper!" Nami breathed, "To be able to do that along with your medical skills!"

"Dummy!" Chopper shot back as he jumped away from the group but then he started to wiggle with delight, "Saying things like that won't make me happy."

"He sure looks happy, though," Luffy said with a confused frown.

"And feels that way too," Emmy giggled.

"Nami...what do you mean by medical skills?" Zoro asked.

"Chopper is a doctor...A first class one, with all the medical skills hammered into him by Dr. Kureha," Nami explained.

"WHAT?!" Zoro, Usopp, and Luffy shouted.

"Why did you think I was calling him Dr. Chopper?" Emmy asked, "And...Luffy...I thought you knew…"

"Nope. I had no clue," Luffy said a bit too proudly.

"Good lord! What did you think Chopper was when you asked him to join us?!" Nami asked.

"Seven-form transforming interesting reindeer," Luffy said automatically.

"AH!" Chopper screamed as he looked back at the island, "I forgot my medical tools since I left in a hurry!"

"Really? Then what is this?" Nami asked as she held up a small blue backpack, "It was in the sleigh...so I thought it belonged to you."

"My bag? How come...how come it's there?" Chopper asked.

"What? Didn't you pack it yourself?" Nami asked.

Chopper's eyes widened with realization and Emmy smiled.

"She asked me to…," Emmy admitted.

"Eh?!"

"Doctorine-san...After I came down from the roof...I passed by her and she asked me to put your bag in the sleigh on my out…," Emmy said.

"Geez...after all she did to chase us out of there," Nami huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest but then she gave in with a smile, "What a wonderful woman, right, Chopper?"

"Ah," Chopper said with a nod.

"YOSH!' Luffy cried as he hopped up and down and clapped his hands, "Now that we have everyone back on board, it's time to make a wish!"

"Ah...with cherry blossoms and snow...today's full moon seems extra special," Usopp said as he looked up to the sky.

"Alright! I'll start first!" Luffy said as he punched his fist in the air, "Okay! Moon! I wish that-"

"Oy! Oy! Oy!" Sanji interrupted and gave the captain a swift kick in the head, "Ladies first, you idiot."

"I already made my wish," Emmy said and then put a hand on the princess' shoulder, "Why not let Vivi-sama go first? She is our guest, after all."

"M-M-Me?" Vivi asked, "I...I don't know how it works!"

"I'll go first," Nami said with a flip of her hair, "Vivi, just do what I do."

Nami planted her hands up to her hips and she looked right up at the moon. "Listen, moon, you didn't grant me the 100,000 bellis I wished for so you owe me 2 million this month, you hear?!"

"EH?!" the navigator's nakama exclaimed.

"Nami! You were supposed to wish for something small!" Usopp said.

"And...why do you phrase it like you're collecting debt from the moon?!" Zoro asked.

"Here, Vivi," Usopp sighed, "Let me show you how it's done."

He stuck his nose high up into the air. "Okay! Moon, since I was able to defeat a large Sea King, this time, I'm going to wish for-"

"Usopp…" Emmy asked as she stuck her hand in the air to interrupt, "When did you defeat a Sea King?"

"It was when you were sleeping, Emmy," Usopp asked, "It was just the other night, when this monster that looked like a cross between an elephant and a hippo-"

"I can feel when you're lying," Emmy interrupted and Usopp hung his head in shame.

"Oh yeah," he said, "Okay...fine...My wish is still the same as last time's then."

VIvi giggled and as Sanji stepped up to the plate. "Just awful," he clucked at the sniper, "Here, Vivi-chan. I will demonstrate a proper wish."

He got to his knees and spread his arms wide towards the heaven, "Dear Moon Goddess, I ask that you bestow onto me the-"

"Use real words," Zoro grunted and Sanji glared at the swordsman.

"What did you say?!"

"You heard me!"

"...Er...I would like to give it a go…" Chopper offered sheepishly while the cook and swordsman locked into a stare down.

"Go ahead, Chopper!" Nami said with encouragement.

"Remember...something small," Emmy reminded.

"Erm…" Chopper said and looked up to the moon, "I wish to be able to...steer the ship by the next full moon…?"

"Good wish! Good wish!" Luffy and Usopp cheered and clapped.

Chopper pulled his hat over his eyes and he squirmed. "You...you dummies…"

"Yosh! My turn!" Luffy said as he got to his feet, "Listen, moon! Since I was able to get the meat feast I wished for last time, I wish for a bigger feast with bigger meat!"

"Now I don't know whether to wish for a bigger pantry or just a bigger ship," Sanji sighed as he raked a hand through his hair.

"I...I wish…" Vivi said and got up to her feet. She looked up at the sky and then smiled at all the expectant faces of the pirates around her, "I wish that I will always remember this moment...with my friends."

Grins stretched from ear to ear across the deck and it was only interrupted by the clapping of the captain's sandalled feet.

"Alright! Now let's feast! FEAST!"

"Wait...Mr. Bushido...You didn't make a wish yet," Vivi said.

Zoro smirked. "A man creates his own destiny. I don't need to make wishes."

"A man…" Chopper said and then looked at Emmy and Nami, "Should I...Should I take back my wish?"

"Don't listen to him," Nami sighed as she shot a glare at the swordsman, "Chopper, you can do whatever you want."

Emmy smiled, "Yes...You are a pirate now and it's your freedom."

Chopper pulled his hat over his eyes again. "I'm...I'm a pirate," he whispered with awe.

* * *

_Shing! Shing! Shing! Shing!_

Emmy danced around the bow of the ship as she dodged the swordsman's blade with her headband on her head.

"Good," Zoro grunted as he held his katana tightly in both hands, "You're getting faster. Soon I can start using two swords on you."

"Really?" Emmy asked as sweat dripped down her neck.

Nami had told them that they were getting close to Alabasta and as soon as she did, Emmy shifted her focus more on her training and less on cleaning. Given what Vivi had told them about Baroque Works and Crocodile, Emmy needed to be at her best.

"Ah," Zoro said and then sheathed his sword, "Now that you're done with your strength training and agility training for today, you can work on your card throwing."

"Okay," Emmy replied, "Thank you for your help!"

Zoro let out a grunt as he brought Emmy's target over to the deck. "I'm going to go get a drink."

"I think we're low on alcohol," Emmy said with a frown, "Actually, last time I checked, I think we're pretty low on everything."

"I'll find something," Zoro said with a wave of his hand as he headed into the kitchen.

"Luffy, don't lie!" Sanji's stern voice caught Emmy's attention.

She looked over the bannister and saw Sanji glaring down at a kneeling captain.

"Tell me what you know," Sanji said as he flicked the cigarette between his fingers.

Even from a distance, Emmy could see her brother shifting in his seat and sweat was pouring down his face.

Sanji bent down and then grabbed Luffy by the cheek. "Oy! Why are you looking away? Look me in the eyes!"

"I...I...I don't know anything," Luffy stammered.

"Then, let me ask you something," Sanji said, "How did enough food for 9 people. which I carefully divided so that it'd last until we get to Alabasta, disappear overnight?'

"Er…."

"Stop denying it. You have a horrible poker face," Sanji scowled.

"I know nothing," Luffy insisted.

"Oh, I see," Sanji said and took a step back, "Oh! Luffy...You have something around your mouth."

"Crap!" Luffy shouted as he flung his hands over his face, "Food crumbs?! Shoot! I was so careful!"

"So it _was_ you!" Sanji roared and kicked the captain harshly across the face.

Emmy blinked and then tilted her head curiously. Why was it that her newly formed bond, the wall of sincerity, was flickering with guilt along with the wall of reaction? Her eyes went to the side of the ship where Chopper, Usopp, and Carue sat fishing. Unfortunately, the cook's attention also moved that way.

"So...any luck fishing?" Sanji asked as he sauntered over to the group.

"W-Well...we're working hard to catch something for you, Sanji-kun!" Usopp said with forced cheer.

"How kind of you…" Sanji placed his hands on the side of Usopp and Carue's head.

_Thwack!_

He knocked their heads together, catching Chopper's in the middle, and the three fell backwards to the ship.

"Y-Y-You're welcome," Usopp wheezed.

"Seriously, I can't take my eyes off these guys for a moment," Sanji sighed and then he glared down at the sniper, "I don't care how you guys do it but you guys better catch me a large Sea King by dinner time...or else!"

Usopp gulped.

"You hear me Luffy?!"

"Yes…" Luffy whimpered from his splayed position, "Oy...Emmy, could you-"

"No using Emmy-chan as bait!" Sanji lectured, already familiar with his captain's thought process.

Luffy pouted. "But if you want a large Sea King, you gotta use the best bait."

"Use something else!" Sanji seethed and then he looked over at Emmy, "Please continue on with your training, Emmy-chan. Ignore these idiots."

"Oh...okay," Emmy said as pulled out her pack of cards.

Sanji eyed the target and he smiled. "You're getting better, Emmy-chan."

"You think so?" Emmy asked with excitement. The cuts left behind from her previous day's training were definitely clustered tighter around the bullseye than before and the dents seemed to be getting deeper too but she didn't want to get ahead of herself, "Do you think one day I can cut straight through it with just one card?"

Sanji sucked on his cigarette and then let out a slow exhale. "I think you can do whatever you set your mind to, Emmy-chan."

Emmy beamed at the cook and then faced her target with more determination than before.

_Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!_

With every card, a face flashed in her mind.

_Thwack!_

Wapol, munching on the Merry.

_Thwack!_

Mr. 5, shooting a snot bomb at Usopp and Luffy.

_Thwack!_

Miss Valentine, pinning Usopp down with her heavy weight.

_Thwack!_

Miss Goldenweek, holding up her paintbrush.

_Thwack!_

Mr. 3, with wax seeping out of his hands.

_Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!_

Arlong. Don Krieg. Buggy. Morgan. Alvida.

_Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!_

Emmy threw the last fan of cards all at once and then clenched both her fists out of sheer frustration.

Delly. Celestial Dragons. The Auction House. Lord and Lady Boysen. Their faces flooded into Emmy's head and she gritted her teeth.

 _I will become strong,_ Emmy thought to herself as she retrieved her cards one by one, _I will have enough power to protect myself_ and _my nakama._

"Miss Maid?"

Emmy looked over and saw Vivi coming out of the kitchen with a glass of juice, "Sanji-san wanted me to give this to you. For a refreshment."

"Thank you, Vivi-sama. You didn't have to bring it to me. I can come over," Emmy said as she came down the steps to meet the princess in the middle. She noticed that Chopper and Carue were nowhere to be found anymore and the only two people left fishing were Luffy and Usopp.

"Luffy-san, Usopp-san, have you caught anything?" Vivi asked.

"QUAAACKKK!"

"Eh?!" Both girls leaned over the railings and their eyes bugged out when they saw the duck dangling from the ends of both Luffy and Usopp's fishing pole.

"AHHHH! Carue!" Vivi screamed.

Luffy grinned. "We can definitely catch a Sea King with him for sure!"

Emmy's hands immediately went to each boys' ears and she yanked it hard enough that she wrapped Luffy's earlobe around his throat twice, crushing his windpipe, "Let him up, _now!"_ she ordered.

"Y-Yes, ma'am," Usopp and Luffy whimpered as she let go of their lobes with a sickening snap.

"I'm so sorry, Vivi-sama," Emmy said as she bowed her head but the princess' attention was suddenly taken elsewhere.

"What's that?" Vivi asked as she pointed out towards the sea, "Steam?"

Emmy followed her gaze and saw a thick, green mist sprouting along the horizon. It was so thick that for a second it looked like a moving forest sprouting up from the water.

"I'll go get Nami-san!" Vivi said as she ran into the kitchen to retrieve the navigator.

Emmy sighed as Usopp and Luffy started to lift Carue up. "Honestly, why aren't you guys using normal bait?"

"Because Luffy ate those," Usopp said and Luffy nodded with unabashed pleasure.

The navigator emerged from the kitchen alongside the cook, Chopper, and the swordsman. "Oh that?" she said to the princess, "That's just steam coming from the hot spot."

"Hot spot?" Emmy asked.

"It's an area where magma is produced. There's an undersea volcano in that area," Nami explained, "There're more undersea volcanoes than above ground ones. With the volcano like this, a new island will be born here over a thousand or ten thousand years."

"Since it's nothing out of the ordinary, I'm going to go back inside and ration out what's left of our supply," Sanji said and headed back into the kitchen.

"Wooo...I wonder what I'll be like in ten thousand years," Luffy said.

"Idiot, you'll be dead," Usopp sighed just as the ship started to enter the steam.

The crew coughed as the stench of sulfur attacked their sinuses. Emmy pressed the hem of her apron over her nose and shut her eyes.

"Blehhhh. It's everywhere!" Luffy gasped.

"Just endure it. We're almost through," Nami advised.

By the time they passed through the steam cloud, everyone was gasping for fresh air except for the captain and sniper, who were gasping out of pure shock.

"We...we caught a man!" Usopp shrieked at the random man dangling around Carue's neck.

The man had dramatic eyelashes smeared in green mascara and painted lips and cheeks. His black hair was short but he wore a green headband with a white pom pom at each end. He looked just as bewildered about his situation as Luffy and Usopp.

"Crap!" he shouted, "Why did I jump on the duck that I suddenly came across?"

"Maybe...you have a thing for birds?" Emmy suggested, eyeing the two swan heads that decorated his shoulders.

"Eh?" The man turned to look at Emmy but in his confusion, he let go of the duck and fell right into the water, "AH! Help me! I can't swim!"

"Oh dear," Emmy gasped, "Zoro! Go save him!'

"What?! Why me?" Zoro asked.

"Just do it before we sail away!" Emmy shouted.

"Ugh, fine," Zoro said as he smoothly dove over the railing and into the water.

By the time the swordsman returned on board with the man in hand, Emmy was already there with a couple of fresh towels waiting for them. She ignored the scowl Zoro directed at her when he grabbed one. The other man was a lot more grateful.

"Th-thank you! I thought I'd die," he sighed while he dabbed his neck with the towel, "To think that I was saved by pirates who are total strangers. I'll never forget your kindness for the rest of my life."

"You are very welcome," Emmy said with a smile.

He looked at her and gave her a wink, causing his mascara to bleed even more down his cheeks, "You're a cutie. You're just my type. I could just eat you up."

There was now an added effort on Emmy's part to keep her smile on her face. "Umm...please...don't?"

"Yeah, let's move away from the weird guy we caught," Usopp muttered under his breath as put his hands on Emmy's shoulders and steered her away from harm.

Luffy grinned. "So you can't swim, huh?"

"That's right," the man said as he shimmied his shoulders, "I ate a Devil Fruit."

"What kind of Devil Fruit?" Usopp asked.

The man smiled and got to his feet. "Since there's no need to rush until my ship comes to pick me up, in lieu of entertainment, I'll show you my power!"

_Thwack!_

WIthout warning, he smacked Luffy right in the face and sent the captain tumbling backwards.

"Why you…" Zoro said as he reached for his swords.

"Stop," Emmy replied as she put a hand out to stop the swordsman, "There's no malice coming from him…"

"Wait! Wait! Wait!"

Zoro almost dropped his sword at the sight of his captain's face grinning back at him with pompoms on his head and swans coming out of his shoulders.

"I just told you that this is entertainment! Give me a break!' the swan Luffy laughed.

"What?!" the real Luffy shouted as he got to his feet, "That's my face...AND MY VOICE!"

"Surprised? Surprised? Surprised?! If I touch my face with my left hand…" The swan Luffy swiped his hand across his cheek and suddenly, his face was back to the mascara running one. "See? I'm back to myself! This is the power of the Clone Clone Fruit I ate!"

"A-A-Amazing!" Luffy cried as the man lightly tapped Usopp, Nami, Chopper, Emmy, and Zoro with his right hand.

"There! Now look!" he said as he touched his face with the same hand and his face carousell between each one of their faces, "As you can see I can mimic anyone!"

He stopped at Nami and then opened up his shirt. "I can even copy their bodies too."

"WHOA!" Usopp, Luffy, and Chopper gasped at the sight while Zoro calmly rested a hand on top of Emmy's head.

"Relax, Emmy…It's just Nami's body," the swordsman said to the blushing first mate.

_Thwack! Thwack!_

First the navigator punched her copycat and then she punched the swordsman. "What do you mean 'just'?!"

"You're amazing!" Luffy cheered, "Do more! Do more!"

With the captain, sniper, and doctor's egging, the man started to pirouette around the deck while switching between every face in his arsenal. "Well, if you insist, I'll show you more."

As he breezed through face after face, Emmy felt a distinct flash of recognition and then alarm coming from the princess. She looked up ath Vivi and saw that the princess had gone quite pale. Emmy looked back at their new guest but he had already moved onto a new face. _What...what happened? Who did she see?_

"Amazing! Amazing! Amazing!" the boys cheered, oblivious to the princess, as they got up to their feet and began to dance around with the man.

"Oh! There's my ship!" the man suddenly cried and reluctantly stepped out of the dancing circle. He leapt up onto the railing and he placed his hands on his hips.

"It's already time to say goodbye…? What a shame…," he sighed.

"What?! Please don't go!" Usopp begged.

"Don't be sad! Journeys are always accompanied by farewells," the man insisted with a dramatic turn of his head, "But don't ever forget this. Friendship...has nothing to do with how long we've known each other."

With tears in his eyes he flashed them a thumbs up before leaping over towards an approaching ship with a swan as the figurehead and pink sails. "Don't cry, my friends!" he sang.

"See you again!" Luffy cried as Usopp and Chopper tearfully waved goodbye.

"There you are, Mr. 2!" A woman said as their ships pulled away from each other. She had on a white shirt dress that ruffled at the front along with a long black tuxedo jacket. She had long black hair that was slicked back into a tight ponytail, "It is not in good taste to leave without any warning."

"I just met some wonderful friends, Miss Cultural Day. Give me a break!," the swan man laughed.

"MR. 2?!" Usopp cried while Vivi almost fell over the bannister.

"Miss Cultural Day?!" the princess gasped, "So….That's Mr. 2, Bon Clay...and Miss...Cultural Day…"

"Vivi! You didn't recognize their faces?!" Luffy asked.

Vivi shook her head. "No...I've never met Mr. 2 nor Mr. 1, much less their partners. I...don't know their powers, either."

Her legs gave out and she sank to the floor.

"Vivi-sama!" Emmy ran up to the upper deck and helped the princess to her feet, "I'm so sorry! Mr. 2 didn't have any malicious intent so I didn't think he was the enemy."

"You...you didn't know," Vivi whispered and the first mate could feel her trembling beneath her hands.

"What's the matter, Vivi?" Luffy asked.

"Among the faces that he showed from his past memory…" Vivi said, "I saw my father's face...The face of Alabasta's King, Nefertari Cobra."

"What?!" Usopp and Nami gasped.

"This is bad," Zoro said as he folded his arms over his chest, "If you could mimic a king, you'd be able to do quite a lot of damage to a country."

"And...if he could transform to one of us...that means we won't be able to trust our own friends," Nami said.

"B-But he doesn't realize we're his enemies! That should count for something, right?!" Emmy tried as she felt how much dread and grief that was weighing the princess down.

"Ah," Zoro said with a smirk, "This means we can figure out counter-measures."


	51. I am Trying to Blend In.

"Someone remind me how this happened again?" Nami growled as she, Usopp, Emmy, Carue, Vivi, and Zoro crouched under a green tarp and crept down a busy street of a port town in Alabasta called Nanohana.

"We landed at Alabasta to find Mr. 3's boat anchored here too so we have to get supplies in the nearest city without getting recognized by anyone…" Emmy summarized, "Oh! And I don't know if this has anything do with us being under here but...Luffy ran off without us to find food."

"I can't believe he ditched even you," Usopp sighed, "He must've been really hungry."

"Well, we were sailing on no food for half a day," Emmy said.

"Partially your fault, Usopp," Nami hissed, "Like this 'brilliant' idea."

She had a point so the first mate held her tongue, despite knowing that the navigator was partially unleashing her frustration out on the sniper.

"There's no telling where Mr. 3 is, so we hafta move without standing out!" Usopp protested.

"Yosh," Sanji said from outside the tarp. He was free to move since he was never spotted by the wax man. Chopper strolled beside him in his four legged form, "Turn left here. There's a quiet corner we can hide in."

"Annnnnd left," Usopp directed and everyone under the tarp moved in unison.

Sanji guided them to the outskirts of the city where there was a ruined building with only three of its four walls still standing. Everyone came rushing out of the heated tarp as soon as Sanji gave the signal that it was safe for them to come out. Emmy used the bandage wrapped around her left arm to wipe the sweat from her brow. Her cuffs were still on her wrists and the one on the left acted as an extra security to hold the bandages in place. When Zoro was wrapping her bandage, he had raised an eyebrow at the sight of Emmy's scars butt said nothing.

"Vivi-chan," Sanji said, "We're safe from view for a little while now."

There was no answer from the princess, who had stayed mute ever since they disembarked their ship. Now that Emmy was out of the tarp, she finally had a chance to study what was bothering the princess.

"Vivi-chan?" Sanji asked.

Vivi's back straightened and she snapped out of her thoughts. "Yes! Yes? You were saying?"

"Vivi-sama…" Emmy said. She came up to the princess and covered her hands with her own, "It's okay to be happy, even if it's just for a brief moment. You don't have to feel guilty."

"Eh?" the pirates asked.

Vivi looked at the first mate and she let out a sheepish smile. "Thank you, Miss Maid...I was just relieved that from what I've seen in this town, things still seem to be all right. But..I know I can't rest easy...I haven't forgotten my duty."

"Yeah, this town does seem quite peaceful," Nami mused.

"Oy, Vivi. What is your plan to stop the rebel army?" Zoro asked bluntly, "What should we do?"

"Eh?" Now it was Vivi's turn to be confused.

"I don't know the details but it seems we are running against the clock," Zoro said, "So we'd better act quickly...Whatever it is we need to do."

"W-W-We?" Vivi repeated, "But...The agreement was only to bring me to Alabasta-"

_Tonk!_

"Come on now," Nami huffed with a light punch to Vivi's forehead, "Are you still saying that?"

Vivi instinctively went to move her hand to cover the attacked area but then realized that the first mate was still holding onto both her hands. "Nami-san...Miss Maid…" she whispered.

"We traveled this far together. We can't just leave you now," Emmy said.

"Don't act so distant," Usopp added.

"I'm interested in this Warlord guy anyways," Zoro said with a smirk.

"You don't have to mention _that!_ " Nami snapped and then turned to glare at the princess, "And _you_ , stop thinking like you're some sort of burden to us."

"Yeah, even if we let you go off on your own, Vivi-chan," Sanji said, "There's still people out to kill all of us except me and Chopper."

"Besides if this country gets destroyed, who's going to pay the reward for bringing you here?" Nami finished.

"And there it is…" Usopp sighed while Emmy looked at Nami like she had just turned into the devil himself.

"N-Nami! How can you say that to Vivi-sama?!" Emmy demanded, dropping her hands and marching over to the navigator, "She is our guest!"

"That's fresh coming from someone who didn't want to accept this mission in the first place," Nami huffed and planted her hands on her hips.

"That might be true," Emmy said, "But I don't feel that way anymore and Vivi-sama is not a mission! She's a-"

Nami rolled her eyes. "Don't say 'guest', you goody two shoes. We're off the ship now so Vivi's no longer considered a guest."

"I was going to say friend," Emmy said with frown.

"I'm right, aren't I, Sanji-kun?" Nami asked.

"Yes, Nami-swan!" Sanji automatically said.

"You don't agree with me, Sanji?" Emmy asked.

"Of course, I do, Emmy-chwan!"

"God, pick a side, you love cook," Zoro growled.

"What did you call me?!" Sanji asked.

"Th-thank you, everyone." A genuine smile, albeit small, came across the princess' face as she watched the crew bicker with each other like any other day at sea. It was a great source of comfort to know that she could at least rely on them to be themselves even in such a dire situation.

"Eh? For what?" Zoro had already forgetting their original goal of offering support to the princess.

"Do you want to hear my plan?" Vivi asked.

"Oh right," Zoro said, "Let's hear it then."

Vivi sighed and clasped her hands in front of her. "Northwest of this city is an oasis called Yuba. That's where the rebel army is based. I'd like to go there first to stop the uprising...But to get to Yuba, we'll have to cross the desert. For that, we'll need to stock up on the necessary food and water here."

"Ah, that's why you had stop at this port town," Nami said.

Vivi nodded but she bit her lip. "However, if Mr. 3 is in this town too, that means that we can't-"

"Don't worry, Vivi-chan," Sanji said as he smiled with his cigarette balanced between his lips, "He wouldn't recognize my face so I can gather the supplies while you guys wait here."

"That's right!" Nami said, "And Chopper too!"

Sanji ashed his cigarette and pointed it at the reindeer. "This works out perfectly, then. We'll have a lot to carry so I'm counting on you, okay?"

Chopper blinked up at the cook and then adjusted the straps of his backpack, "En! I got it."

"Will you be okay?" Usopp asked.

"I'll be okay!" Chopper reaffirmed as he transformed into his four legged form, "I wanna do what I can!"

"Please be careful," Emmy said when Vivi gave Sanji and Chopper a list of supplies and they headed off to the market.

"Leave it to us!" Sanji replied.

* * *

The sun was scorching hot and it did not let up while the group waited for the cook and the doctor. Emmy sat in one corner of the building and hid under as much shade as she could. She had never experienced so much heat in her life. She was wearing her headband so she could only imagine how Chopper was faring, given that he had never left his winter island. _I hope Sanji is taking care of Dr. Chopper…_

Her stomach growled and it carried her mind to another person who wasn't there. _Luffy...I hope you're okay too…And that you're not stealing another person's food..._

"Nami-swannn...Emmy-chwannnn...Vivi-chwaaannnn!"

"Ugh, he's back," Zoro grunted from his corner.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Usopp asked from next to the swordsman.

The cook came back carrying parcels of all shapes and sizes on his back. He had also changed into a long white tunic and a light blue jacket that went all the way to floor. More importantly, to Emmy's surprise, he was alone.

"Eh? Where's Chopper?" Nami asked.

"Eh? I thought he was with you guys," Sanji said with a raised curled eyebrow.

"I...I'm here," Chopper panted as he rounded the corner while covering his nose with his hooves, "Ugh...I don't...I don't feel too well."

"Oh no! Is it the heat?!" Emmy asked as he stumbled to the ground just outside the building.

"Per...perfume," Chopper gasped.

"Perfume?" Emmy asked as Sanji whipped out a perfume bottle from his pack.

"Yes, Emmy-chwannnn! I took the liberty of getting you ladies each your own perfume that represents your unique personalities!" he said as he spritzed something floral in Emmy's direction.

"Ah, stop!" Chopper cried.

"I also got clothes, just like you asked!" Sanji said. He handed a parcel to each of the girls and then threw a large cloth one at the boys'.

"OY! Handle ours with care!" Usopp snapped as he and Zoro got up to their feet, "We'll go change outside. Nami, you guys can stay here to change."

"Thank you, Usopp," Emmy said as Usopp dragged a nauseous Chopper out of the building. He then shot a look at the cook, who was fixated in his spot.

"You coming or what?!" Usopp asked.

"What? Oh me?" Sanji asked, feigning innocence.

"Get the hell out," Nami shouted as she sent Sanji tumbling across the sand with a hard shove.

With the help of the princess, Emmy put on the strange garments of Vivi's hometown and the first mate turned red from head to toe when she was done, which matched the crop top and lining of the white, flowy skirt she was forced to wear.

"This is...this is…" she said, unsure of what words to say while she covered up her exposed belly with her arms. She didn't want to offend the princess but the only word that came into mind to the first mate was 'indecent'.

"This might help," Vivi said as she helped Emmy put on a white sleeveless tunic that cascaded down her back and swept her ankles, which now had anklets around it that matched the gold bangles and bracers on her arms.

"N-n-not really…" Emmy said and returned her arms to cover her belly, "Am I really supposed to blend in with this on?"

"It's fine, Prude. This is wonderful! I love these kinds of clothes," Nami scoffed as she twirled around in her matching outfit, except hers was trimmed with blue while Viv's was in purple. She planted her hands on her hips and moved it so that her skirt swished around, "You can off those lace cuffs you always wear now that you have the bracelets. It looks really odd against your jewelry."

Emmy shook her head fervently. "No...I'd like to keep them on."

"Are you guys ready? We're coming back!" Sanji called out from the other side of the wall.

"Ready!" Nami cheered.

"R-Ready…I think..." Emmy said as she bit her lip.

"Yosh. Here we...Whoahhhh!" Sanji cried as hearts leapt out of his eyes and tongue, "I am blown away by this beauty!"

"Sanji-san," Vivi said as Emmy hid behind her, "I think there's been some sort of mistake. I asked you to get commoner's clothes but you got dancer clothes."

"I know but they look so marvelous on you!" Sanji said, "Dancers are commoners too."

"But we're going to cross a desert," Vivi said.

"Don't worry about it!" Sanji sang.

"O...Oy," Usopp whispered to Zoro. They wore similar attire as the cook with turbans wrapped around their heads while the cook left his hung around his neck, "Did you know that Emmy's chest was just as big as Nami's?"

"I don't notice these things," Zoro grunted.

"You're so full of it," Usopp hissed.

Emmy's stomach growled which made her turn even redder. "Eeep!" she gasped and ducked behind Vivi even more.

"I'm sorry, Emmy-chan," Sanji said as he untied a parcel to reveal assorted meats, fruits, and cheeses, "You must be starving. Apologies for keeping you waiting."

"Thank you for the food," Usopp and Zoro said in unison as they helped themselves first.

"OY! Not for you!" Sanji seethed but did nothing as the girls came over to eat their fill too.

"Chopper, you don't want any?" Nami asked.

"No...too...strong…" Chopper whimpered with his hooves clasped over his nose.

"I think you smell wonderful, Nami-swannn," Sanji swooned.

"In any case," Usopp said as he gulped down a mouthful of meat, "We've accomplished our first goal of gathering supplies. All that's left is to find Luffy and get to Yuba, right?"

"That moron," Nami huffed, "Where the hell could he be?"

"Stuck in a ditch," Zoro guessed.

"Caught by Crocodile already," Usopp suggested.

"In a restaurant," Emmy said.

"Alright, we can't waste time!" Nami said as she wiped her hands and stood up, "Zoro, Usopp, Prude! We're going to go to the marketplace and look for Luffy."

"Eh? Why me?" Usopp screeched.

"You've got good eyes," Nami said, "Zoro's coming for protection. Emmy because she knows Luffy the best. Can't take Chopper because he's down for the count and Sanji's already been to the market so he can stay here to protect Vivi and Carue."

"What do you bring to the table then?" Zoro asked out of pure curiosity.

Emmy sighed. "You want to go shopping, don't you?"

Nami danced around and jingled the bangles on her arms. "Now that I know there's so much cute stuff out there, I want to go take a look myself."

"Ah! Nami-swan is so graceful. Fall in loooove!" Sanji crooned.

"Fine, fine. Let's just go already," Zoro said as he stood up too.

"You take good care of Emmy-chan and Nami-san! You will lay down your life before those two even get a scratch on their delicate bodies!" Sanji ordered.

"Don't tell me what to do," Zoro growled.

"LET'S GO ALREADY!" Nami shouted.

The group walked into the marketplace and the more people they saw, the more uncomfortable Emmy got. No one was wearing the same thing she and Nami were. If anything, they would get eager smiles from people every now and then, expecting them to display some sort of entertainment. She stuck close to Zoro, whose big frame offered some sort of coverup for her if she walked right behind him.

He seemed to notice it too because after awhile he slowed down his pace and didn't say a word when she grabbed the back of his tunic for security.

"Beautiful jewelry for a beautiful girl!" a vendor cried out as he dangled pearls in Emmy's direction.

"Not interested," Zoro grunted on her behalf. Then something caught the swordsman's eye and he stopped, "That guy…"

"Who?" Emmy peaked out from behind Zoro and she saw what he was looking at. It was way off in the distance so all she could see was a topless man with a cowboy hat and a bag slung across his back. It half covered the enormous purple cross tattooed on his back with a jolly roger at it's center.

"That guy with the cross on his back...As a former pirate hunter, I could recognize that mark anywhere," Zoro said, "He's part of a dangerous pirate crew. Stay away from him, okay? We need to avoid trouble."

There was silence and then the swordsman looked over his shoulder, "Oy! Emmy! Did you hear- AH! Where did she go?!"

"Monkey D. Luffy? No, I haven't seen him."

The mention of the captain's name took Zoro's attention away from the missing first mate. The one who spoke was the vendor that the man with the jolly roger was talking to. Zoro's eyes narrowed. _Why is that guy asking about Luffy?_

Then Zoro's eyes widened right up when he noticed who was was quietly approaching the vendor and the dangerous pirate.

"Oy! Emmy!" Zoro hissed but the first mate was already out of earshot.

Emmy's heart was beating right out of her chest as she walked closer and closer to the man until she couldn't miss the unmistakable tattoo on his arm - the letters ASCE inked in black with the S crossed. She had read enough articles with Dadan and listened to too many stories from Luffy to not be able to recognize the man in front of her. _A-Ace is here….Gramps! Luffy! Dadan! Ace is here! And he's looking for Luffy!_

When she got close enough she could hear the conversation between the vendor and the infamous Portgas D. Ace.

"He might be in town. I've been looking for him for a while now," Ace said with a grin.

"Never seen him," the vendor grumbled, "But if you're looking for someone, ask at the restaurant up ahead. The owner there knows a lot of people."

"Much appreciated," Ace said as he gave a bow of thanks and turned to walk away, "Restaurant, huh? I was feeling hungry anyways...Well then-"

Without thinking, Emmy's hands reached out and grabbed his arm before he could get too far. 

Ace smiled at her with curiosity while making no attempt to disengage from her. "Hello, pretty lady. How can I help you?"

It was just too much. Seeing him in the flesh, being in the most uncomfortable outfit she had ever been in, and standing under the desert sun.

"Pretty lady…?" was all she cut whisper before she fainted right onto the street. It was so sudden that neither the vendor or Ace could react in time to catch her.

"OY! EMMY!" Zoro shouted as he started to make a dash for her but then stopped when he recognized someone a couple stalls down. She was speaking with a sword vendor that stood between Zoro and his nakama.

"It's just wrong!" came the familiarly stern voice, "Selling a sword like this for 200,000 bellis is pure swindling! Do you even have a permit?!"

"Ah crap. What is that woman doing here?" Zoro cursed.

"Never try that again, do you understand?!" the short haired marine said and then she started to turn towards the swordsman.

"Damn it!" Zoro seethed as he hid behind a stack of rice bags and then watched in frustration as the Whitebeard Pirate took the unconscious first mate and disappeared among the crowded street.

* * *

Emmy felt something cool and wet on her forehead before she heard the sound of the most comforting voice in the world. "Miss? Are you okay? Miss?"

_That voice...is so…_

"Warm," Emmy muttered before her eyelids fluttered open and she was staring right up at a worried, freckled face.

"You're warm?" Ace asked and then shouted up over the counter, "Can we get her some cold water, please? Thanks!"

Emmy's eyes widened and she sat up, realizing that she was lying across the bar counter of a restaurant like some human sample platter. "Oh dear."

"Here you go," the man behind the counter said as he handed Emmy a fresh glass of water, "You really scared us there, miss. A pretty dancer like you shouldn't be out in the sun too long."

"Th-Thank you," Emmy said as she hurriedly got down from the counter and took a seat on the barstool next to the guy that brought her in, "And...and th-thank you -"

"Ace. Portgas D. Ace," he said with a tilt of his cowboy hat, "For a second I didn't know if you had a heat stroke or had just fallen asleep."

"Wh-who would just fall asleep in the middle of a street?" the man behind the counter asked.

Ace laughed. "That's nothing. My brother and I can fall asleep in the middle of any meal. Got that habit from our Gramps."

"Brother…Gramps…" Emmy breathed and her eyes started to water, "It's you...It's really...you…"

"Eh? Do we know each other?" Ace asked with a sheepish smile and he scratched the back of his long straggly hair, "I'm sorry...I can't seem to place you. What's your name?"

"I'm impressed you're bold enough to be so brazenly out in public, Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates...Portgas D. Ace…," a low voice growled from behind them.

The smile never left Ace's face as he casually turned to face the man, who had just entered the restaurant. He had two cigars stuck in the corner of his scowl and the smoke he puffed out matched the color of his short, coarse hair.

"Wh-Whitebeard Pirates?" the man behind the counter gasped as everyone in the restaurant took at least a step away from him.

"I"m searching for my little brother," Ace said. His dark eyes met the cold, steely gaze of the white haired man, "So...what do you want with me?"

"To let me capture you quietly," the cigar man said.

"Nope. I think I'll pass," Ace said with a casual shrug.

A vein throbbed along the cigar man's forehead. "Yeah, I figured. I'm busy trying to find another pirate at the moment. To be honest, I have no interest in taking you in."

"Then just look the other way," Ace said.

"Can't." The cigar man flexed his fist and his arm started to spiral out as smoke, "As long as I'm a marine and you're a pirate, I can't let you have your way."

Ace raised an eyebrow and he smirked. "That's a bland reason...but I guess we could have some fun."

He tilted his hat over his eyes and as he did so, he turned his head slightly in Emmy's direction. "Miss, you should probably get out of here. For your own safety."

Emmy blinked at him and she started to say something but then she stopped short. She sat up a little straighter in her seat. "I can't leave yet," she said with a small smile. She turned to look straight through the marine under the doorway, "Our brother is here."

"Our brother?" Ace repeated.

"GUM-GUM ROCKET!" Luffy shouted as he sailed right through the entrance and slammed into the back of the cigar man. The rubber boy sent the cigar man flying through the counter and crashing through the wall, unknowingly taking Ace along with him.

"YES! Food!" Luffy cheered as he looked around the restaurant, "Food! Food! Fo- Eh? Emmy? What are you doing here? EH?! What are you wearing?!"


	52. I am Interesting.

_Crunch! Crunch! Munch! Munch!_

"Yum! This is such a yummy food place!" Luffy shouted with his mouth stuffed as he rammed fist after fist of food down his own throat, "Emmy, you should really have some."

_Crunch! Crunch! Munch! Munch!_

"Luffy! Ace-" Emmy tried for the upteenth time.

_Crunch! Crunch! Munch! Munch!_

"I know," Luffy sighed as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, "Ace would want me to say 'thank you for the meal' and then thank the owner for their hospitality. I'll mind my manners! Don't worry!"

"Erm...it's probably none of my business but…" the man behind the counter said, "But...you should probably run away while you can…"

_Crunch! Crunch! Munch! Munch!_

"Why?" Luffy asked.

"That guy you just sent flying now...Do you know who he is?" the man behind the counter asked.

Emmy nodded fervently. "That's what I've been trying to tell you, Luffy! You knocked into A-"

"STRAW HAT!"

The two Monkeys looked over at the hole in the wall Luffy had created and the rubber boy blinked at the cigar man, who came storming through.

"I've been looking for you, Straw Hat," he growled, "So you _did_ come to Alabasta?"

_Crunch! Crunch! Munch! Munch! Crunch! Crunch! Munch! Munch! Crunch! Crunch! Munch! Munch!_

"STOP EATING!" the cigar man roared.

Luffy blinked at him. The captain's cheeks were completely expanded by the amount food he had packed inside. Then in one long train, he spat it all out at the cigar man. "AHHH! You're that smoke guy! What're you doing here?!"

"You know him, Luffy?" Emmy gasped.

" _You_ know him?" the cigar man asked Emmy.

"HOLD IT!" Luffy said as he shoved the last bits of food in his mouth and nodded to the frightened man behind the counter, "Mamk you more the mood."

"What?" the cigar man asked.

"He means 'thank you for the food'," Emmy translated as Luffy shot up to his feet and grabbed her by the wrist. He swallowed the food in one big gulp.

"Come on, Emmy! WE NEED TO RUUUUUN!" he cried as he sprinted out of the restaurant like a bat out of hell.

"Stop right there!" the cigar man ordered.

"Wait...Luffy! We can't leave yet. We need to-," Emmy protested as Luffy dragged her further away from the guy she knew he most wanted to see.

"Pay the check? There's no time! And I have no money," Luffy said with a grin.

"But Ace-"

"Yep. It's exactly the same thing Ace would've done if he was here," Luffy said.

"Tashigi!" the cigar man cried from behind them and a familiar woman in the market smiled brightly at him.

"Yes, Captain Smoker? Do you want a towel?" the woman asked cheerfully.

"That's the marine that let me call Gramps at Loguetown!" Emmy gasped.

"You did WHAT?!" Luffy cried as he skidded to a halt.

"Stop that guy! That's the Straw Hat and one of his crew members!" Smoker yelled to his subordinate.

The charging smoke man made the rubber boy second guess his decision and Luffy started to run again down the marketplace with his sister in tow. This time, he grabbed onto the closest rooftop he could see and he swung them both up so that they were off the street.

"You!" the female marine gasped when she spotted Emmy, "Weren't you- Wait! You're a pirate?!"

"I'M SORRY!" Emmy shouted as she ran away, "Truly!"

"Straw Hat!" the smoke man seethed as he rocketed upwards in a billowing smoke, "Why are you here in this country?!"

"This has nothing to do with you!" Luffy shouted back, "This is a fight between me and Crocodile!"

The smoke man's eyes widened. "Crocodile? How are you two connected?"

"Eek!" Emmy screeched when Luffy suddenly pulled her into his chest and they both fell into an empty alleyway, landing with the rubber boy's back first so that they bounced right back to their feet.

"Come on!" Luffy hissed as he and Emmy started to run in the opposite direction.

"STRAW HAT!" the cigar guy yelled as he kept on the chase.

* * *

"You bastard! What do you mean you lost Emmy-chan?!" Sanji seethed as he held tightly to the front of Zoro's shirt. They had regrouped back in the abandoned building and the cook was enraged that the swordsman had returned without the first mate.

"She was taken away and before I could get to her, this marine showed up. Anyways, it's bad news! We need to find Luffy and then get Emmy back!" Zoro shouted.

"Switch those two priorities!" Sanji snapped.

"Odds are Luffy has already found Emmy," Zoro sniffed.

"I'm not paying any ransom if it comes down to it," Nami said with just as much indifference.

"What kind of attitude is that?!" the sniper and cook shouted at the same time but at different people.

"H-Hold on. Did you say a marine showed up?" Vivi asked.

"Yes, the Navy is here," Nami sighed, "God...As if we aren't enough trouble as it is…"

"Wait! Hide!" Zoro said as he pulled Nami and Usopp further into the building just as a group of men raced by.

"There he is! Get him! Get back here!"

"What? What is it?" Nami asked.

Zoro peeked over the top of the crumbled wall and he scowled. "The Navy…"

"There seems to be a big commotion," Usopp gulped.

"Some idiot pirate must be running around town or something," Sanji sighed.

Just as the words left his mouth everyone shared the same look. "An idiot pirate?!"

"Get back here, Straw Hat!"

"WAHHHHH! LET'S GO, EMMYYY!"

"They're gaining on us, Luffy!"

Zoro smirked at the cook. "See? I told you Luffy already found Emmy."

The navigator, though, was having another reaction to this turn of events. She crossed her fingers and she prayed to the heavens. "Please don't do what I think you're going to do. Please don't do what I think you're going to do. Please don't-"

"Turn right here, Luffy!" Emmy advised and the navigator buried her head in her hands.

"Noooooo."

"Oh, there you guys are!" Luffy said with a grin as he and his sister sped past their nakama, "Come on. Let's head to the ship. What are you guys waiting for?"

"Why the hell didn't you get rid of the marines first?!" Nami seethed as she and the rest of her nakama found themselves swept up in the chaos.

"Stop! Don't let them escape!" the marines said.

"Fall back!" the smoke man ordered as he raced towards the front of the lines, "Straw Hat is mine!"

"Yikes! Here he comes!" Luffy shouted.

"White blow!" the smoke man shouted as his fist launched through the air with a stream of smoke behind it.

"HEAT HAZE!"

_Kaboom!_

Everyone stopped in midstep as flames exploded right behind Luffy and smothered the smoke and the smoke man's punch.

Luffy's jaw dropped while Emmy sucked in a sharp breath. Both of their eyes danced with the flames that were exuding out of Luffy's older brother, who stood protectively in front of the rubber boy with his hand out.

"You may be smoke...but I'm fire," Ace said with a smirk, "A fight between your power and mine would never end."

"He...he had a Devil Fruit Power?" Zoro grunted.

"Who...Who is he anyways?" Usopp asked, "Why is he helping us?"

"A-A-Ace?!" Luffy gasped.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you, Luffy...," Emmy whispered, "He's here…"

Ace looked over his shoulder and he grinned at his little brother. "You haven't changed a bit, Luffy…"

"Ace...is that you?! You ate a Devil Fruit?!" Luffy asked.

"Yep! The Flare-Flare Fruit!" Ace said and then he eyed how Luffy was holding onto Emmy's wrist, "And it seems you picked up something too, Luffy."

Suddenly, a stream of marines came flooding in from the streets and they lines themselves behind the cigar man. "Captain Smoker! We're securing the perimeter!"

Ace returned his attention to the fight ahead. "Anyways, we can't chat like this. I'll catch up. You guys run! I'll hold these guys off."

"Yosh! Let's go!" Luffy said as he turned on his heels and ran.

"Thank you! Please be careful!" Emmy shouted as Luffy pulled her along.

"Wh-what's going on?!" Usopp asked.

"Is he an acquaintance of yours?" Nami asked.

"Shishishishi, yeah you could say that," Luffy laughed.

"Ace is Luffy's older brother," Emmy said.

"WHAATTT?!" Vivi and the rest of the pirate group exclaimed.

"Wouldn't that make him _your_ brother too?" Zoro asked and then he scowled, "OY! Why didn't you say anything then at the marketplace? Scared the hell out of me when you got carried away!"

"Ah ha! Admitting that you did a shitty thing by abandoning, Emmy-chan, aren't you?" Sanji taunted.

"I did no such thing!" Zoro spat.

_Fwooom!_

A blazing fireball shot up towards the sky as flames and smoke swirled around the surface. Everyone stopped running just so they could see the spectacle.

"Ooooh! Look at that!" Luffy whistled with an excited grin.

"Well, he did say he ate the Flare-Flare Fruit," Sanji said calmly.

"You having a brother isn't that surprising...but why is he here on the Grand Line?" Usopp said.

"Ace is a pirate," Luffy said, not taking his eyes off of the fireball his brother had created, "He left the island three years before me and Emmy to find the One Piece."

"EH?!"

The navigator was the first to recover. "A-Anyways, we can all talk about this later. Let's get to the ship first!"

"Yes, Nami-san!" Sanji said dutifully.

Luffy and Emmy let their nakama rush past them as their eyes were glued up to the sky, too caught up with what was happening up there.

"Come on…" Emmy whispered, "We need to go, Luffy."

"Yeah," Luffy said as they both started to run backwards, unable to break away their gaze, "Cool! The fireball got even higher!"

By the time the two siblings realized that the streets around them had turned strangely quiet, the marines were nowhere to be found but neither were their nakama.

"Eh?" Luffy asked as he and Emmy stood in the middle of a vacant alleyway, "How did we end up here? Where is everyone? Did they get lost?"

"Sheesh...I guess letting you escape was pretty much pointless," a jeering voice taunted from above.

Luffy's grin widened as a blush rose to Emmy's cheeks. "Ace!" Luffy cheered.

"Yo," Ace said with a tilt of his cowboy hat. He jumped down from the roof and he put his hands on his hips, "It's been awhile, Luffy. Now would you care to tell me who this pretty lady is and why did she refer to you as 'our' brother?"

"Shishishishi, this is Emmy! She's my sister," Luffy said and he slapped Emmy on the back.

Emmy clasped her hands in front of her and she gave a deep bow. "I-I-It's a pleasure to meet you, Ace-san!"

"Sister?" Ace laughed, "She's too cute to be your sister. Are you sure she's not Sabo's instead?"

Emmy's blush deepened as she straightened up and smiled shyly at Luffy's older brother.

"She doesn't usually look like this. She usually wears her dress and her apron...And less jewelry and more snacks," Luffy said and then his frowned deepened when he sniffed the air around Emmy, "And she doesn't usually smell like this either. She usually smells like soap and lemon."

That seemed to make Ace laugh even harder. "Seems more like your describing a wife than a sister. Although, it'll be centuries before a snot nosed kid like you would be man enough to take a wife."

"Who are you calling a kid? I'm a man!" Luffy huffed indignantly, "Besides, if there's anybody who hasn't changed, it's you?"

"Oh?" Ace said as he rested his elbow against the top of a barrel and he held up a palm towards Luffy, "Wanna see how much has changed?"

Luffy grinned and locked his hand into arm wrestling position. "You're still the same," Luffy grunted as both brothers started to use their full force against each other, "Like when you'd sneak into the fields, eat 100 watermelons, and then spit seeds out like a gun and run!"

"That wasn't me...that was you," Ace said through gritted teeth. Both brothers' face started to turn red but neither of their hands were moving an inch.

_Booosh!_

The barrel cracked underneath the pressure and water came rushing out, signalling a draw. Ace and Luffy shared a grin and a high five.

"This brings back memories," Luffy sighed happily.

"Say...weren't you with your friends?" Ace asked.

"Yeah, we'll meet up with them later," Luffy said with a shrug, "Hey. What are you doing here, Ace?"

"Didn't you get my message?" Ace asked, "Or did you not stop by Drum Island?"

"Drum?" Luffy asked.

"No big deal," Ace said as he got out a water canteen, "I'm just in the area for some minor business. I figured you'd be around here judging by when I expected you to leave Dawn Island so I thought I might look you up."

"Ace-san," Emmy marvelled, "You must be very smart to be able to calculate that."

"Thanks, Emmy," Ace said with a grin, "But you must not be if you decided to follow this idiot out to sea. Wanna join my pirate crew instead?"

"Your pirate crew?" Luffy asked.

"Yeah," Ace said and pointed at the tattoo on his back, "I'm part of the Whitebeard Pirates now. This is the their mark. It's my pride."

He grinned at Luffy. "Why don't you both join my pirate crew? Your nakama can come too, of course."

"No," Luffy said immediately.

Ace laughed. "I figured not. Just thought I'd ask. What about you, Emmy? Wanna go with the more reliable brother?"

Emmy blushed and found herself tongue-tied. She just couldn't believe that she got to meet Ace. She had always imagined what it would be like if she and Luffy ever crossed paths with Ace, but this was just so much better than she imagined. "I...I…"

Luffy's eyes narrowed and he frowned at his sister. "Emmy, what's gotten into you?" Then his eyes widened in horror, "You're not thinking about joining Ace's crew, are you?!"

That accusation did the trick and Emmy found her voice. "O-Of course not, Luffy! I am your first mate and I only want to find the One Piece with you!"

That made Luffy's chest swell up with both pride and happiness. He grinned victoriously at his older brother, who took no offense to it at all.

"Just so you know, Luffy," Ace said with a smirk, "Whitebeard is the greatest pirate I know. I wanna help him to be the King of PIrates."

"Looks like we're going to have to fight someday," Luffy said, not backing down in the slightest, " _I'm_ the one who'll become the King of Pirates."

"Not if your crew leaves you behind," Ace teased as he sipped from his canteen.

"AH! RIGHT! We need to get back to the ship!" Emmy said, "I think I remember the way to the harbor...Come on. Follow me!"

"Oh geez," Ace sighed as he and Luffy sauntered behind the girl, "Luffy, a _captain_ is supposed to remember this kind of stuff."

"Shishishishi. Don't worry about it," Luffy laughed.

"God, you haven't changed a bit," Ace chuckled, "So who else do you guys have on your crew?"

"Besides, Emmy, we have a swordsman, who trains a lot…" Luffy said as he counted on his fingers, "A navigator who likes tangerines, maps, and money...A cook who makes really yummy food...Oh! And there's a liar. Then a reindeer."

"Is that really all you think of Usopp and Dr. Chopper?" Emmy asked as a sweat dropped down her head.

"Oh! We also have a princess and a duck now," Luffy grinned.

"That's quite a variety and only just a handful of people...That's just like you," Ace said.

"They're all really interesting people," Luffy said.

"I'd wager to say you're the most interesting," Ace laughed.

"Nope," Luffy said with utmost sincerity, "That'll be Emmy."

Emmy almost tripped in her step as she turned to look at her brother. "M-m-m-me?" she asked.

Luffy nodded. "Yeah. You have fun abilities. You are scared a lot but you're not a coward. You have weird habits like insisting on keeping everything clean but you also don't mind it when other people make a mess. You're very interesting."

Emmy blushed again but this time because of a different brother. "I...I just do my best, that's all," she said as she ducked her head down and hurried down the road. She was too lost in her own thoughts to look at where she was going and she bumped right into someone.

"Ah! I'm so sorry!" Emmy gasped as she looked up, "I didn't see you there. It was..."

She stopped short when a large, mean looking man sneered back at her. He was at least 7 foot tall and he was burly across the chest and shoulders. On his back, he carried multiple swords and rifles.

"My fault…" Emmy finished just as she felt a hand grab her by the wrist and pull her backwards.

A warm hand rested on her shoulder and she looked up to see Ace grinning down at her while Luffy's fingers wound tightly around hers.

"Fire Fist Ace!" the large man said as the alleyway got blocked off by armed men and guns pointed at Luffy, Ace, and Emmy from the rooftops, "Your bad luck ends here."

Emmy heard a man suck in his breath. "Oy! Isn't that Straw Hat Luffy?"

The large man grinned and scratched his chin. "Now that you mention it...he does ring a bell. He's worth 30 million bellis, I believe. Talk about lucky. Once I have your heads, our promotion is a hop, skip, and jump away!"

"Oy, you," Ace said and pointed a finger at the man, "Don't be rude."

"Huh?"

"Emmy just apologized for walking into you but you're the one who came in and blocked her way on purpose. Don't think I didn't see you," Ace said, "So apologize to her."

"What? Did you not hear what I said? I'm here to take your head!" the large man yelled.

"Well, I tried," Ace said with a sigh as he escorted Emmy and Luffy right past the large man, "So anyways, Emmy, where did you say your ship was anchored?"

"Oh...uh...I think it's-"

"Oy! You! Hold it right there!" the armed men cried as they swarmed towards the three pirates, "Get them!"

"Eh? What? What's going on?" Luffy asked as he moved him and Emmy out of the way to avoid getting cut by a couple of swords. He let go of Emmy's hand and he punched three men out of his way.

"Oh my," Emmy said as she avoided getting sliced, kicked, and grabbed, "Either I'm getting faster or you guys are just very slow…Even Zoro with a hangover moves quicker than this..."

"Attack!" the men said as they dog piled on Luffy.

Luffy's arm stretched up and it grabbed a clothesline hanging overhead. He pulled himself out of the dogpile and dangled there with the wet clothes that were pinned to it.

"Shoot him down!" the men cried, firing their guns at him.

"Don't surprise us like that, you jerks!" Luffy roared as the bullets bounced off of him and back down to the ground.

Suddenly, Emmy found a blade come out from behind her and then pressed against her throat.

"Don't move or else she's going to get it!" a man in a green bandana threatened.

"Ah! Emmy!" Ace said as his fist turned into a ball of fire.

Luffy, on the other hand, grinned at the headband resting next to Emmy's feet as he swayed in the wind. "Go, Emmy!'

"Feel Feel…" Emmy said as she grabbed the man's wrist, "Repose."

_Zzzzzzzzz!_

Her captor's limbs drooped limply to his sides as his entire body fell backwards. "Feel Feel," Emmy said as she started to punch the air around her, "Gatling!"

"What-Gah!" a dozen men cried as they were suddenly knocked back. Each of them felt an invisible punch right in their lungs.

"Damn you!" the large man shouted as he raised a heavy sword and raced down the alleyway.

_Shing!_

The blade was stopped just by Ace's two fingers as he pinched it in place. "Who you trying to hurt? It better not be Emmy," Ace said with a raised eyebrow. He then set his hands on fire, which in turn made the blade red hot.

"AH!" the large man yelped as he let go of his weapon.

Luffy jumped down from the clothesline and he stretched his arms behind him. He knocked both fists straight into the man's chest and sent the man hurtling into the distance. "Gum Gum…..Bazooka!"

"Not bad," Ace said as he held a hand over his eyes to see further off into the sky. Then he turned to grin at the girl, "And you didn't tell me you ate a Devil Fruit too, Emmy."

Emmy blushed. "I ate the Feel Feel Fruit...I'm an empath."

Luffy grinned and then picked up the headband by the bow. He put it on Emmy's head and then gave her head a pat. "Shishishishi. I told you she's interesting."


	53. I am Being Fought Over.

"Do you need anything, Ace-san? Some more water? Maybe something else? Sake? Milk?" Emmy asked.

Ace smiled over the rim of his just finished mug of water. The two brothers and Emmy had found the Going Merry and got on board before the marines and Baroque Works closed in. Ace managed to take down five of Baroque Ships all by himself in a dazzling display of fire and power.

As soon as they got on the ship, they had set off towards the other side of the island, in which they were to make their way towards the Yuba Oasis, passing by the nearest port town, Erumalu. They had a made a small pit stop along the way so that Carue could leave the ship and transport a very important letter from Vivi to her father but now they were back on their way.

"Milk?" Usopp asked incredulously while he sat amongst Luffy and Chopper, "Why would a guy like Ace drink milk?"

"I thought real pirates drank rum or ale...I didn't know they drank milk," Chopper said thoughtfully.

"Oh!" Emmy blushed and smoothed out the apron that she had immediately put back on as soon as she had returned to the ship. She had had enough with exposing so much of her skin, "I'm sorry, Ace-san...It's just...Dadan-san said that when you were growing up you were the only boy who actually drank milk every day so I thought...I thought…I'm sorry…"

Ace laughed as he perched on top of a water barrel. "Oh yeah. I forgot I did that. I'm glad I did because look how much taller I am compared to this guy," he said as he thumped the base of his mug right on top of Luffy's head.

"OW!" Luffy yelled and he frowned at Ace, "Milk doesn't make you grow. Meat does."

"Sure. You keep believing that, Luffy," Ace said with a grin. He then flashed it towards the first mate, "And I can't believe you actually recall something as small as that."

Emmy's blush deepened. "I-"

"That's just how Emmy is," Luffy said with a grin, "She likes taking care of people. Especially me. She likes taking care of me the most."

"That's not something Emmy-chan has to say. Not you," Sanji huffed and gave Luffy a light kick in the back.

"But it's true!" Luffy insisted.

Ace raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?" he taunted, "Because last time I checked, Emmy had already offered me a refill on my water. What about you?"

"EH?" Luffy looked down on his mug and his eyes widened when he saw how empty his was. He thrusted it in Emmy's direction, "Emmy! Can I have more water?"

"Oh! Of course!" Emmy said as she ran into the galley and returned with a full pitcher, "Here you-"

"Emmy," Ace called out and he held his mug out as well, "Could you please give me some more too?"

"Of course," Emmy said and she proceeded to pour water into Ace's mug first.

Ace looked triumphantly at his little brother. "Ha!"

"EMMY!" Luffy shouted, "What about me?"

"Ah! Sorry! Ace-san was closer to me but here! Here you go, Luffy!" Emmy said and filled up Luffy's mug.

Luffy quickly downed his mug and held it out again. "More!"

"Eh? More?" Emmy asked as she tilted the pitcher.

"Me too, Emmy," Ace drawled from behind her.

"Already?!" Emmy gasped as she pivoted between the two brothers, "I'm going to run out of water soon if you guys keep this up."

"Don't give it to him!" Luffy cried. He leapt to his feet and kicked Ace's mug out of his brother's hand. In doing so, he accidentally smashed the pitcher in his sister's as well.

_Thwack!_

Immediately, Emmy's mini Fist of Love cracked down hard on Luffy's skull. "Luffy! Do not be rude to our guest and do not waste water!" she scolded, "We are about to head into the desert, after all."

"Sorry...Emmy," Luffy groaned as he bent at the knees and cradled his head in his hands.

Ace laughed. "I guess it's not worth fighting over her if she only considers me as a guest."

"Fighting...over...me?" Emmy repeated. Then her hands went to her heated face and she ran back into the galley, "I...I'll go get a broom to clean this up."

Ace's laugh continued but he did not do any more to provoke either the captain or the first mate when Emmy came back to sweep up the broken glass. Her face was still as red as a tomato.

"What brings you to Alabasta?" Vivi asked as she sat leaning against the mast next to Carue.

"I'm chasing a certain man," Ace said, "His name's Blackbeard."

"Blackbeard?" Vivi repeated and she sat up a little taller, "The pirate that attacked Drum Island?"

Ace nodded, "He used to be a member of the 2nd Division of the Whitebeard Pirates, one of my men...But he committed the ultimate sin on a pirate ship. He killed a nakama and then jumped ship. As the commander, I can't just let that fly. I gotta find him and take care of him."

Standing so close to Ace, Emmy was surprised at how warm he felt in one second and then turned blood chillingly cold in the next. It was all directed at just one person yet it felt like Ace was a fuse away from igniting into war. She understood fully now why the government had marked Ace as a dangerous man.

"I came here because I caught word that Blackbeard was seen in Yuba," Ace continued.

"Then your destination is the same as ours then," Nami said brightly. "It looks like we'll be travelling together for a bit."

"Yayyy! Ace has joined our crew!" Luffy cheered.

"When did I say that?" Ace demanded.

"Shishishishishi, let's have a fun time together!"

Ace grinned. "Now that I can agree to."

"Three cheers for Luffy's brother!" Usopp cried, "Hip hip…"

"Hurray!" the pirates responded.

"Hip hip!"

"Hurray!"

"Hip hip!"

"Hur-"

_Hurray!_

Emmy stopped in the middle of her cheer and she glanced over towards the figurehead. _Merry-san, you like travelling with Ace-san on board too?_

_Leave it to me, Little Miss. I'll take you all to where you want to go._

Emmy clasped her hands in front of her apron and she smiled. Her talks with Merry were becoming more and more frequent now. The ship was always the one to initiate the conversation. She would only chime in when something was happening with the crew or if she was feeling a particular way about something. Of course, that still didn't stop the first mate from talking to Merry every day as she had done before. Emmy just now had the anticipation that maybe one day, the Merry would respond back more regularly.

_Is there anything you'd like me to do, Merry-san? Any loose boards to fix? Any messes that need to be cleaned?_

_I'm okay for today. Thank you, Little Miss._

"Three cheers for going to Yuba and kicking Crocodile's ass!" Luffy suddenly cried, bringing his sister's attention back to the people on board.

Nami and Usopp both placed a hand to their face as Zoro rolled his eyes.

"Of course this guy still doesn't get it," Sanji sighed as he puffed on his cigarette.

"Listen up, Luffy," Nami said and she pulled on Luffy's cheek to make sure he gave her his full attention, "Like we said before, we are going to Yuba so that Vivi can meet up with the rebel army and talk to their leader. Hopefully, we can convince them not to fight. After that, _then_ we'll see about Crocodile and Baroque Works. Got it?"

"But-"

"That's what Vivi wants, okay?" Nami said with a dangerous look in her eye.

Luffy gulped. "Y-Yes. Nami."

"Good!" Nami said and snapped Luffy's cheek back into place, "We need to do a good job in saving this country or else we're not going to get the reward!"

A sweat dropped down everyone's face.

"This again?" Usopp said, which earned him a glare from the navigator and the sniper shut right up.

Ace stood up and he leaned against the railing. "I knew Crocodile was in this country but...a pirate trying to steal a kingdom?" he mused to himself, "A pirate dropping anchor in one spot and settling down? I find it hard to believe."

Emmy giggled. "Ace-san, maybe that's because you're the type who needs to be constantly moving. At least, that's what I gathered from everything Dadan-san, Gramps, and Luffy have told me about you."

Ace laughed. "Yeah. I'm definitely not the type to just stay put...but then again…"

He nodded over at Luffy, who was dancing all around the deck with Usopp and Chopper, "So is that guy."

Ace's expression turned solemn and he looked down at the floor. "Still...my personal preferences aside, there could be another side to this whole takeover thing."

Zoro, who had been listening silently from his spot near the mast, leaned over a bit more in his seat. "Another sort?"

"Some sort of deeper goal…" Ace said.

"Oh, Miss Maid!"

Before Emmy could even turn to face the princess, she felt something soft drape over her shoulders.

"Here you go...For the desert," Vivi said as she helped fit Emmy's arms into the sleeves of a long yellow tunic with a white lining and a white hood.

"Oh! Thank you, Vivi-sama," Emmy breathed with relief as she buttoned it closed from her neck to her feet, not even bothering to take off her apron from underneath.

"Of course. You have to wear that or else you're going to get burned within the hour," Vivi said and proceeded to put on a matching cover-up in blue.

"Ahh! What are you doing, Vivi-chan?!" Sanji cried and then his face fell when he saw that Nami had put on one in white as well, "Not you too, Nami-san!"

"Sanji-kun!" Nami huffed and then pulled back her sleeve to expose her skin, "Do you really want me to expose my skin and wind up terribly sunburnt?!"

"I guess not…" Sanji said. He dropped to the ground and began to roll around in circles, "Oh...my three dancer girls…"

"Moron," Usopp said.

"Perv," Zoro added.

"You guys are hilarious," Ace laughed.

Luffy nodded in approval when he saw his sister's updated outfit. "Good. You have more pockets now."

"Emmy-chan is a lady. Not your snack holder," Sanji snapped to his captain.

"Luffy, you need to cover up too," Emmy advised as she went over to the parcels that the crew had brought back with them. She pulled out a dark maroon tunic and gave it to her brother.

"Oooh!" Luffy said. He put it on while she draped a blue cloth around his neck and covered his straw hat with it, "Oh! These pockets are huge! I can fit a lot of meat in here!"

"There," Emmy said as she finished securing his headwrap and then leaned back to see if anything needs adjusting, "That should do it. Please don't fidget with it or else your hat might slip off."

"Got it."

Emmy folded her hands in front of her and she stared firmly into her Luffy's eyes. "Also, please make sure to drink your water sparingly. Don't finish it all in one gulp, no matter how thirsty you get."

"Okay."

"Last but not least, once you take a sip, make sure everyone else has drank some too before you take another one. Okay? That one is really important."

"Yep!"

"Did you really get all of that?" Zoro asked as he finished wrapping himself up for the desert.

Luffy gave a short but firm nod. "Make sure to water my hat but not too much or else I won't have anything to drink."

"Idiot! That's not right at all," Sanji, Nami, Usopp, and even Chopper shouted at the captain.

"It's not?" Luffy asked with a frown and then it disappeared with a shrug, "Whatever. Emmy, you just tell me when it's time to drink water."

"Okay," Emmy said with a smile.

From his spot on the railing, Ace watched the pair and his relaxed grin turned into something much warmer.

* * *

The group anchored in a quiet bay. It only had room for one ship and it had tall boulders surrounding it so that the Going Merry was somewhat hidden from plain view.

Once the crew got the ship settled, they were surprised to find turtle-like creatures resting on the boulders and in the waters. They had faces like seals but had a turtle shell on their backs and also over their heads like a helmet.

Vivi informed them that they were called Kung Fu Dugongs and they somehow had adopted a martial arts mentality where they challenged any passersby to a fight. Should they lose, they would follow whoever had bested them and viewed them as their master. However, all of this was not heard by the captain and Luffy easily knocked out one before anybody could even think to stop him.

Before the pirates knew it, Luffy was instructing a whole army of Kung Fu Dugongs how to punch. When the humans started to set off for Erumalu, the Dugongs tried to follow the captain. Only after some persuasion from both Emmy and Chopper, did the animals finally concede and stay behind.

"See ya!" Luffy laughed as he waved to his disciples.

"Please take care of yourself and thank you!" Emmy said with a bow.

"Oy, Luffy. Do you even understand the current situation?" Nami huffed, "There's no way we could enter any city with that big of a group, especially when we're trying to lie low and keep Vivi out of everyone's radar. You're so dumb!"

"Honestly," Usopp agreed, "We would've been in big trouble if Chopper hadn't offered them some of our food."

"And Emmy-chan for giving them the task of defending our ship if anyone comes near it," Sanji added.

"They seem very dependable," Emmy said.

"Sheesh, Luffy," Sanji sighed, "Thanks to you, our food supply's gotten a lot smaller."

Ace chuckled. "He's still causing a lot of trouble…"

"That's for sure," Zoro grunted.

They climbed over sand dunes and trudged under the hot desert sun with the princess leading the way. It took several hours and only a few sips of water each, since they had to ration every little drop as much as they could. When Vivi finally stopped at the top of a particularly high dune, all the pirates could see were withered trees and weathered buildings half buried in the sand.

"What's this?" Usopp asked.

"This is Erumarlu. It used to be known as the Green City," Vivi said. Her eyes casted downwards and her shoulders drooped ever so slightly as she led the group into the city, "This is a clear example of what the Baroque Works organization has done to this country...What the people of Alabasta are going through…"

"Wow, there's nothing here at all!" Luffy gasped as he ran through the deserted city.

"Yes, it's a ghost town now but just until recently, it was a thriving city full of greenery," Vivi sighed.

"This place?" Zoro asked in disbelief. He kicked a nearby stump of a dried up palm tree and the bark crumbled with just a light touch.

"Rain was always scarce," Vivi said, "But even so...the city was able to manage by saving every last drop of rainwater. However, in the last three years, not a single drop of rain has fallen in any part of this country."

"Three years?!" Chopper gasped.

"But even without rain, what about the river we just crossed? There's a water source right there," Zoro pointed out.

"The answer to that is up ahead," Vivi said, "Never in the thousands of years of Alabasta's history has the rain stopped completely. However, there was one place where the rain fell more than usual...Alubarna, the capital...The city where the king's palace is. The people call it the King's Miracle...Until that day...that is..."

The princess walked on forward, without hesitating in her step, as she told the group about how three years ago, there was an incident in the city of Nanohana where bags and bags of Dance Powder were discovered. The people caught transporting the illegal substance had said they were going by the king's orders and deliver it to him for his private use.

"Dance Powder?" Emmy asked, "Does it...make people dance? Or do people turn into powder when they do?"

Nami snorted, "Don't take things so literally, Prude. Dance Powder is also known as the 'Rain-Summoning Powder'."

"Eh? You've heard about Dance Powder before?" Luffy asked the navigator.

"I'd only heard stories about it so I don't know how true it is," Nami admitted, "I think a researcher in a country where it doesn't rain created it. The powder, when burned, creates a misty smoke and when it rises into the sky, it can artificially cause it to rain."

"Oh! You mean _that_ mystery powder!" Luffy said with a grin, pleased that he was finally in the know, "I ate some a while back. It tastes really bad."

"Of course you'd eat it," Ace laughed.

"Yep! Without any hesitation!"

"Not something to be proud of," Usopp and Zoro said in unison.

"It's not food," Nami lectured.

"But...if there's a powder that can create rain, wouldn't something like that be perfect for this country?" Usopp asked.

"The country that developed Dance Powder was almost happy enough to dance at first, which is how it got its name," Nami explained and shot a poignant look at the first mate, "But there was a big catch. They caused the neighboring country to have a drought. Do you get what I'm saying?"

"Absolutely not," Luffy beamed.

"Of course, you don't," Nami sighed, "Dance Powder quickly and artificially matures clouds that would normally grow into rain clouds further downwind and causes them to rain.

"Clouds can mature?" Emmy asked and she looked up at the sky, "Does that mean that small one over there is a baby cloud? Where are it's parents? Why is it all alone?"

"What Nami means," Usopp cut in and stepped in front of the navigator before Nami could even attempt to strangle the first mate, "Is that it steals rainclouds that would've normally gone to a neighboring country."

"Oh, I see," Emmy said and then she frowned at the navigator, "Why didn't you say so then?"

"Why you-" Nami snarled while Usopp and Chopper struggled to hold her back.

"Wars have been fought due to the use of Dance Powder. Many lives were lost. That is why the World Government had banned the use of it...," Vivi said as she continued to walk, "When all that Dance Powder was found at Nanohana, Alabasta was in the middle of a strange weather phenomenon where rain fell nowhere except for where the king lived."

"Hold on, VIvi! That means your father used that mystery powder!" Luffy shouted.

"Idiot!" Sanji seethed and knocked Luffy's head with the back of his heel, "It means he was framed! Vivi-chan's father would never do any such thing!"

"My father had nothing to do with it...but around the same time, a huge amount of Dance Powder was found inside the palace," Vivi said and her head sank even lower.

"They even had people working inside the palace?" Zoro asked.

The princess finally stopped and the pirates realized they were standing in the middle of a wide sandy path that split right through the city. Vivi took a deep breath. "This was a canal that used to bring water in from the Sandora River. Someone destroyed this canal too...With its canal gone, the City of Green lost it's source of water...and it wasn't the only city in Alabasta that this happened to."

"Something like this must've added to the amount of distrust towards the king from the Dance Powder incident then," Zoro said.

Vivi nodded. "It grew daily since then and the fighting began. To escape the fighting, the exhausted people fled the cities and went to the oasis. Because of that, the City of Green withered away."

"I-I'm so sorry, Vivi-sama," Emmy said softly as she walked over to the princess and put a hand on her arm. The whole country's pain and distress was felt by the princess and it lingered within her still. "You-"

Emmy stopped short and she looked off into the distance just as a wind swept past. _Is someone laughing?_

The wind grew stronger and there was a low moan that came with it. The wind was warmed by the sun but feeling it still caused the whole group to shiver and tense just from the sound alone.

"What..what is that? Is that someone's voice?" Nami asked.

"Is it the rebel army?!" Chopper asked.

"Don't tell me Baroque Works has followed us!" Usopp shrieked.

"No...it's just wind," Ace said.

"But it sounds like someone's voice," Nami gasped.

"It's just wind blowing across the town and echoing through the abandoned buildings," Ace replied.

"It's...it's as if the city of Eramalu is crying," Vivi whispered.

"Crying?" Emmy asked and she closed her eyes to concentrate on the sound. _Why do I hear laughing?_

"Brace yourselves!" Vivi shouted just as the wind suddenly picked up speed and force. It stirred up the sand caught in it's path and whipped through the group.

"Ah!" Nami gasped as everyone threw up their arms to shield themselves.

_Hehehehehe._

This time, Emmy could hear clearly what was covered by the wind. It was a deep, rumbling laugh and it was filled with menace. The sound made her open her eyes just for a second and when she did, she could've sworn she saw a swirling cloak race past. As she turned to get a better look, she saw that her brother seemed to have noticed the same thing.

The wind died down and the rest of the group return to normal. Luffy and Emmy stood fixated in the direction of the wind.

"Whoa...what was that wind?" Usopp breathed.

"Did...did you see that too, Luffy?" Emmy asked quietly.

"Was it a ghost?" Luffy asked.

"I...I don't know…" Emmy admitted.

"Look! Over there! I think someone's collapsed!" Nami suddenly cried.

Further down the canal, they could see a glimpse of a cloak flailing from the last remnants of the wind. Luffy raced over towards it with the group at his heels.

"Are there people still in this city?" Vivi gasped.

Luffy slowed down his pace and allowed Vivi to pass by. When his nakama caught up to the captain, they could see why Luffy had stopped. The cloak was worn by a crumbling human skeleton. The skull was fractured and a big chunk in the back had broken off. Half of its jaw was buried in the sand while a thin blanket of sand covered everything else.

The princess collapsed to her knees as she reached out to cup the sides of the skull with her hands. "Wha...what did my father...what did the citizens of this country ever do to deserve this?" she whispered, "These people already had to work so hard just to live."

The princess' grief was held at bay from Emmy's bonds and headband so the first mate was sure that when a tear slipped down her own face, that it was because she genuinely shared in Vivi's sadness. Emmy knelt down next to the princess and she wrapped an arm around her shoulder while the princess continued to choke out her anger through gritted teeth. "These people are natives of a desert land and are forced to fight with nature since the day they were born. And yet...And yet, he still tries to destroy what little they have? What gives him the right to do that?!"

Vivi withdrew her hands and clenched them in her lap. "All the while, he uses his title as a Warlord and pretends to be a hero of the people," she sobbed, unable to contain herself any longer, "No one realizes he's deceiving the entire country! I...I can't let him get away it!"

"AHHHHHH!"

_Kaboom!_

The three tallest and largest buildings of the city suddenly collapsed and crumbled into the sand. As the group watch the displaced sand fall back to its place, they saw three silhouettes making their way towards them. They watched silently when the silhouettes turned into familiar but angered faces of the captain, the cook, and the sniper.

"What are they, kids?" Zoro sighed with a roll of his eyes.

The corner of Ace's lips turned upwards as he knelt down and scraped out a hole in the sand near the skeleton. He smiled at the princess. "Let's give him a proper burial. An honorable one that he deserves."

The princess sucked in a breath and then nodded back at Ace. Emmy went to a nearby tree and snapped off one of it's brittle twigs. Once the skeleton was properly covered, she handed the twig to Vivi, who placed it as the skeleton's headstone.

Emmy's mind went to the ghostly figure that had passed them by. Emmy wasn't one who believed in the supernatural but she knew better than to underestimate what powerful, lingering emotions could do. She clasped her hands in front of her and she offered a silent prayer. _May you find peace and happiness wherever you are now and leave any sadness and regrets behind._

"Vivi! Let's get moving!" Luffy shouted. He rejoined his nakama and he cracked his knuckles, "I'm itching to go now."


	54. I am With Family.

A long time ago, and what now felt like another lifetime for Emmy, she had seen a shooting star. It had streaked across the sky and faded in and out of her existence within a heartbeat. It was just a brief moment yet it was enough to make a lasting impression on her. She never forgot it and could only wonder if she'd ever see it again.

She couldn't help but get the same feeling around Ace. He was a ball of blazing light that went from one place to the next. Even though she wished he could stay for as long as possible, she knew that it was not up to her to decide. All she could do was look at him wondrously and hope that he would be nearby for just a bit longer.

Emmy was so preoccupied with Ace's presence that it completely eclipsed the grueling trek through the harsh desert. They had been walking for hours and the sun was not letting up. The usually rambunctious pirate group could hardly make conversation. Their sole focus was to take one step in front of the other without inhaling whatever water was left. There was no idle conversation, no chatter, and the only sounds were that of heavy breathing. Well, one of the only sounds.

"Gehhhhhhhhhh...Gehhhhhhhh," Luffy moaned. He held a walking stick in both hands and he used it to stab into the sand in front of him with every step, "Gehhhhh."

"Stop moaning so much, Luffy," Nami said, "You'll only tire yourself out."

"Gehhhhhh!"

"He's not listening," Zoro grunted while pulling Chopper behind him on a makeshift sled.

"I don't even think he's talking...Those aren't words," Sanji said, who despite the circumstances still managed to be up for a cigarette.

"I can't go on...I can't take hot weather…" Chopper gasped with his tongue rolling out the side of his mouth.

"Vivi-sama, you seem to be doing fairly well," Emmy commented.

"I was born and raised here, so it doesn't bother me much," Vivi said.

"But what's with all these hills?" Usopp complained, "I figured a desert would be more flat."

"Gehhhhhh!"

"This is a very old desert, so some sand dunes here are over 300 meters high," Vivi explained.

"Oh god, it's like climbing a mountain!" Usopp gasped.

"Gehhhhhhhmmmmy," Luffy gasped, "Can I drink my water now?"

"It has been a while since you had your first sip," Emmy said, "I guess it's alright if you take another-"

"Waaaater," Luffy moaned as he adjusted the water barrel strapped to his back and stuck the straw into his mouth.

"Remember, Luffy, you have to conserve it! Remember to keep your sip small," Nami advised.

"Eh?" Luffy asked as his cheeks expanded into giant balloons.

"Don't drink so much!" Nami and Usopp shouted as they both punched Luffy hard in the back of the head.

"Let me have some too!" Usopp seethed, "That was 13 mouthfuls just now!"

"Hold on!" Sanji leapt into the action and pointed a finger right in Usopp's face, "You just had some. I'm next!'

The three boys started to duke it out and they tumbled right down the side of the sand dune.

"Stop fighting! You'll only waste strength!" Vivi cried.

Emmy blinked and she looked at Ace, who didn't even have a sign of sweat on him. "It must be nice having the Flare-Flare Fruit...This heat must not affect you at all."

His eyes met hers and they crinkled up into a smile. "How about you, Emmy? Do you need some water?"

Emmy shook her head. "I'm okay. I can go a bit longer without it."

"You're a lot tougher than you appear...but then again, I guess you'd have to be if you lived with Luffy on Mt. Colubo."

Emmy smiled sheepishly. "Luffy and Gramps took care of me a lot during that time."

"Eh?," Ace asked as he raised his eyebrow, "I wouldn't call Gramps' training any form of 'care'."

"Gramps never trained me. If anything, he thought of me as too delicate...not tough."

"Really?! The old geezer actually shows mercy?"

"OY! EMMY!" Luffy roared and came racing towards his sister with eyes narrowed and fists high up in the air, "Let me have your water."

"You moron!" Sanji seethed as he held Luffy's confiscated water barrel in his hands, "We just said that you lost all your water privileges for the day since you drank your fill. Don't go stealing it from Emmy-chan!"

"Emmy doesn't need it," Luffy whined. He reached over towards Emmy but just when he was about touch her smaller barrel, she gently pushed his hands away.

"No," she said simply.

"WHAT?!" Luffy gasped.

"No," Emmy said again and she smiled patiently at her brother, "Are you thirsty now?"

"Of course! It's hot and-"

"Luffy," Emmy warned, "Don't lie to me. Are you feeling thirsty or are you just hot?"

Luffy opened his mouth but then after a second, he clamped it down into a pout. "...I'm hot..."

"So do you need water?"

"...No…"

"Can I keep mine then?"

"...Yeah…"

"Thank you," Emmy said and she looked up at the sky, "You know...the sun seems to be going down. Once it's night time, that means we can set up camp, make a fire, and-"

"FOOD!" Luffy cheered as he found a new motivation in life. He raced to the front of the group, down the sand dune, and continued on into the horizon. The only trace of him left behind were the footprints and the sand he kicked up.

"Where is he going?!" Zoro asked, "It's not like we're heading towards a restaurant and it's not about distance. It's a matter of when the sun sets!"

"Just be glad he left all the water in our possession," Nami sighed.

Emmy noticed that Ace was looking around the group with a blank expression. He didn't look amused, angry, or even indifferent about his brother's actions. It was a complete poker face. Inside though, Emmy was close enough to feel it. He wasn't happy in one or another. Nor was he upset or worried. He was just at peace, content to just be a witness to the group's antics.

* * *

By the time night fell and the group had set up camp, everyone besides Vivi, Chopper, and Ace were surprised to find themselves shivering with cold.

"It was so hot during the day! What's going on?!" Nami asked as she sat as close to the campfire as she could while huddled up next to Vivi.

"With nothing to block out the temperature, the desert scorches during the day and goes below freezing during the night. The desert is fraught with unpredictable dangers," the Alabasta native explained.

"Wow, look at those stars!" Chopper said brightly as he laid on his back and enjoyed the chilly air that he was born to withstand.

"Aren't there stars on winter islands too?" Usopp asked.

"Winter island skies are always covered with thick snow clouds," Chopper sighed, "So I've never seen so many stars before."

"Ah, you're so warm and fluffy!" Usopp said as he flung his arms around Chopper.

"Quit it! Get off of me! I'm trying to watch the stars!" Chopper seethed as he morphed into his human transformation.

"Chopper," Zoro growled from his seated position next to the reindeer, "Don't turn big. We need your warmth."

"Yahoo!" Luffy yelled as he leapt onto Chopper and causing a mix of limbs between him, Chopper, and Usopp, "Ah so warm. Isn't this nice?"

"I...I guess?" Chopper asked weakly.

Emmy giggled as she sat next to Ace under a pitched tent. They both watched their mutual sibling. "Luffy was probably like that with you and Sabo-san too, huh?"

Ace's face cracked into a smile and he leaned forward against his knees, "Ah. He hasn't changed at all since he was a kid. Despite how he selfish and unreasonable he seems at times, people are still naturally drawn to him. He's always got this mysterious charm."

Emmy smiled wistfully at the Straw Hat. "Must be nice...to know Luffy so well and for so long...I wish I had met all of you sooner…"

"Me too. Especially since Luffy and I were more rough around the edges than Sabo so if you had grown up with him around, it might've made your time on Mt. Colubo a bit less stressful," Ace sighed, "I wonder how different it would be having a little sister around."

Emmy fell back on her hands and her fingers sunk into the cold sand. "What? Little sister.. I...I didn't mean to...I'm not trying to say that I am your sister...I didn't mean to overstep my bounds."

Suddenly, she saw two hands stretch out and grabbed onto Ace's shoulders before Luffy pulled himself to sit right in front of his siblings. "Shishishishishi. Emmy, why are you so surprised? If you're my sister and he's my brother, then of course you're his sister too."

"But...sake cups...Sabo-san...and...and..." Emmy couldn't even sit up let alone form a complete sentence.

"Chopper, do you think Emmy is having a stroke?" Usopp whispered to Chopper, "Because she's just saying stuff that makes no sense to me."

"Some signs are there but not concrete enough for me to make a diagnosis…" Chopper murmured back with utmost sincerity.

Ace held out a hand and pulled Emmy back up to a seated position so that they were eye to eye. "You do make a good point."

Emmy smiled with relief. "Please don't feel obligated to think of me as your sister just because Gramps-"

Ace clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "No. I mean you made a good point about Sabo and the sake cups. I mean, there has to be some sort of ceremony for us to become siblings, right?"

"Yeah! Sanji! Go get some sake!" Luffy cried.

"Idiot! We're in the middle of the desert!" Sanji shot back.

"No need for sake," Ace said and he rubbed his chin, "Besides, sake wouldn't be fitting for an older brother to exchange with his younger sister."

Emmy's mouth fell open but no words came out. The only thing she could do was just blink dazedly at Ace. A smile stretched across his face when he got an idea. He reached up to his hat and pulled off the string off the beads that lined the rim of his it. He then held it up between him and Emmy, letting the two blue beads with face painted on them dangle in front of Emmy's face. "A fitting present for an empath, don't you think?"

"For...me?" Emmy gasped as Ace draped the beads over her head. They felt heavy around her shoulders but it was oddly comforting to her.

"Yep," Ace said and then held out the palm of his hand, "Now what do you got for me?"

"Me?...I...I don't have anything," Emmy said and then she held up her wrist to show him the bangles on her arm, "Do you want one of these?"

Ace laughed and held up his arm next to hers so she could see that his wrist was three times the size as hers. "I don't think it'll fit."

"Oh dear…" Emmy said as she nervously smoothed her apron. She let out a little gasp when her finger hit a bump in her pocket and she hurriedly pulled out her deck of cards, "How about this? It's my weapon!"

"Your weapon?" Ace asked with a raised eyebrow, "You want me to take your weapon?"

"I can get more! And...and you're Ace so…you should have cards!" Emmy said with a firm nod.

Ace laughed again and he took the deck out of her hands. He shuffled through it and took out the Ace of Spades. "Here. I'll just take this one. That's enough for me."

He handed Emmy back her deck and then patted her on the head. "There! Now the ceremony of is complete, we are officially brother and sister. Although..."

"Although?" Emmy and Luffy asked.

Ace smirked when he saw how the two sat with each other, with a knee touching the other's and both leaning slightly toward one another. "Although, I wonder if I should consider you a sister or a sister-in-law…"

"Eh?" Both Emmy and Luffy stared at Ace in confusion.

"Law? What does the law have to do with it?" Luffy asked.

"Is there an official document that we need to sign?" Emmy asked and then bit her lip, "Oh dear. We didn't sign anything either, Luffy. Does this mean we're breaking a law?"

"We're pirates! What do laws have to do with us?!" Luffy huffed.

"That's true," Emmy said and then her shoulders relaxed.

Ace doubled over and he laughed until he was out of breath, which confused his younger siblings even more. When he had finally gotten a hold of himself, he threw an arm around Emmy's shoulder and pulled her closer to him while directing a mischievous smile to his younger brother.

"Well then, it's time for us to go to bed. Say good night, Emmy!"

"Good...Good night?" Emmy repeated breathlessly, unsure of what was happening anymore.

"What?!" Luffy raged, "What are you talking about?"

"What? I'm a Flare-Flare Fruit user so my body is naturally warm and it is very cold right now," Ace said as he flicked Luffy right in between the eyes, "What can you do for our little sister? Inflate into a hot air balloon and bounce around her? Idiot."

"I can do lots!" Luffy fumed and he wound his arms around both Ace and Emmy. He slammed himself into them and created a makeshift Emmy sandwich, "There! Now Emmy can be warm on both sides!"

"What in the world are you guys doing?!" Nami asked.

_Zzzzzzz!_

"THE TWO BROTHERS FELL ASLEEP ALREADY?!" Nami, Usopp, and Chopper shrieked.

"You idiots. Look at what you're doing to Emmy-chan!" Sanji seethed as he pushed up his sleeves and began to stomp over towards the siblings but was stopped short by a firm hand in front of him.

"Leave them," Zoro grunted, "It's their family business."

"Family…" Emmy murmured to herself as she felt Ace's chin resting against the top of her head while Luffy's hold around her loosened but still remained right around her waist, "Family…"

* * *

Sanji sat at the edge of his shared tent with Usopp, Chopper, and Zoro as he enjoyed a quiet, late night cigarette while the camp slept. Well, somewhat quiet. His highly tuned ear and romantic heart could not miss the sounds of a lady crying, no matter how muffled and faint it was.

Yes. He had spent enough time with this crew to know that the first mate had some crying fits every now and that all she needed was the captain at her side. However, these recent times...Something about it was different that kept the cook up at night.

It wasn't the frequency of her fits that was disturbing. After they left Arlong Park, she had maybe two or three episodes up until they reached the Grand Line. Then, after they left Whiskey Peak, she was practically crying every night.

It was the way she was crying that made it hard for Sanji to sleep at times. Before, they got on the Grand Line, her cries would be more of horror or panic. Much more breathing that would quiet down and go back to a normal steady rhythm after some coaxing from Luffy. Now...her cries were just that. Cries.

Full of tears and sorrow. So much sadness that seemed couldn't be resolved.

Sanji puffed on his cigarette as he looked over at the first mate's tent.

"She okay?" he heard Ace ask the captain.

"She'll be fine," the captain answered back, "Leave it to me."

"Ah. I will."

* * *

"Whoa! I found a shrimp! Emmy! Wake up! I found a sand shrimp!"

Emmy's eyes flew open and she let out a strangled gasp when she remembered her sleeping arrangement. It wasn't like her to sleep so deeply and comfortably and yet somehow she had managed to do so while sleeping next to a person she had just met less than a day ago. Given that this was person was now her brother helped her not go straight into a panic attack. Still, Emmy sat up from her place with her heart racing and her face bright red while her other brother waved something above his head a few feet away with Usopp and Chopper next to him.

"I didn't know shrimps lived in the desert!" Chopper gasped wondrously.

"They don't," Usopp said as he leaned in to take a closer look, "But this sure does look like a shrimp."

"Could this be a 'desert shrimp'?" Chopper asked.

"It looks yummy!" Luffy shouted.

"Stop! Luffy-san! Throw that away!" cried Vivi as she scrambled out of her shared tent with Nami.

"No! That'd be a waste!" Luffy replied.

"That's a scorpion! It's small but it's very poisonous! You'll die if it stings you!"

Chopper and Usopp immediately backed away from the small creature with frightened looks plastered on their faces while Luffy just sighed and tossed it over his shoulder. "Oh. It's not edible? How boring…"

Vivi bowed her head. "I'm so sorry. I should've mentioned it earlier."

Emmy slowly crawled out of her tent, leaving the snoring Ace behind, and when she got out, she saw that Chopper's ears had perked up and his nose was sniffing diligently.

"Dr. Chopper? What is it?" Emmy asked.

Luffy blinked. "Eh? Is something wrong?"

Chopper spun around and climbed to the top of a nearby boulder so he could look out further into the horizon. "Something is coming," he stated.

"Something? What?" Usopp asked.

Emmy heard the sounds of fabric flap behind her and then Ace strolled past her as he stretched his arms up into the air. "Morning," he yawned and then tilted his head up towards his hands, "Huh. Seems like the wind is picking up."

Vivi gasped at those words and she turned frantically to yell towards the camp. "Everyone! Get behind the rocks, quickly!"

"Huh?"

"A storm! A sandstorm is coming!" she warned.

"Oh?" Ace asked with a grin and a hand over the brim of his hat, "This should be interesting."

"Oh dear," Emmy said as she bit her lip and ran around collecting all the loose items that were strewn about.

"Oy, Emmy," Zoro growled, crawling out of his own tent and not missing the opportunity to "accidentally" kick the cook awake on his way out, "Stop cleaning up and get the hell behind a rock."

"But we need-"

"We need to stay alive. Those things aren't that important," Zoro said. He grabbed her by the collar dragged her behind a rock where Nami was already crouched.

"Oy! What was that for, you jerk?" Sanji grunted.

"Ugh! No time for that, Sanji-kun! A storm is coming," Nami lectured.

"She's right. There's no time! The sandstorm is going to hit us at any minute!" Vivi warned, seeking sanctuary behind another boulder with Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper.

Just as she finished the words, a violent wind swept through the camp and whipping every inch of exposed skin with sand.

Sanji leapt clear over the rock to cover Nami's body with his own. "I'll protect you, Nami-swannnn!"

Emmy was about half a foot away from the rock and the wind was so strong, she didn't think she had the strength to push forward so all she could do was grab unto the next sturdy object, which was the swordsman.

"God, Ace, you lied!" Emmy heard Luffy complain through the howling winds, "This isn't interesting at all! Deserts are nothing but storms."

This was followed by the distinct sounds of wood snapping and then a tent flew right over their heads, tumbling off into the distance.

"The tent!" Emmy gasped.

"Don't worry about it! We'll just use Chopper next time," Zoro grunted.

"I am not a rug!" Chopper screeched.

"I'm sorry, you guys! I forgot to mention that sandstorms are one of the many dangers in the desert!" Vivi apologized as if that would ease up the winds.

"Mention it sooner!" Usopp lectured.

"Hahahahah."

"How can you laugh at a time like this, Ace?!" Nami screamed.

"You guys are funny."


	55. I am Trying to Stay Positive.

"Miss Maid, you want to take a break from walking, I can switch with you," Vivi offered as she sat perched on top of the newest member of their traveling group. It was a camel that Nami had affectionately named Eyelashes.

They had saved him from becoming lunch for a Sandora Lizard. It was the only good thing to come out of a of a string of unfortunate events. The most unfortunate being Luffy accidentally getting duped by herd of Warusagi Birds, known to steal belongings from unknowing travelers. They were traveling with no food, no clothes, no camp, and most importantly, no back up water. The only water left was the ones that Ace had brought along himself.

He was the only one wise enough not to participate in the random game of rock paper scissors that Luffy had demanded with the stipulation that the winner was to carry everyone else's belongings.

"I'm okay," Emmy said with a small smile. She seemed to be the only one hanging onto the last shred of positivity. Everyone else were too annoyed at the captain, too uncomfortable in the heat, or too worried about the state of the country.

"Emmy-chan? Are you sad that Ace said goodbye? He was with us for such a short period of time after such a big reunion. It's okay to cry, if you want," Sanji said, noticing how downcast the first mate's eyes were.

Emmy shook her head and to the cook's surprise, her smile got brighter. "Actually, he stayed longer than he actually needed to. I could feel his sense of urgency to leave but I could also feel him fighting it somewhat just so he could spend some more time with Luffy."

"And you. Don't you think?"

Emmy blushed and her hand went up to touch the string of beads that hung around her neck. Ace had left after the sandstorm and headed back towards where they had docked the Going Merry. He had given Luffy a blank sheet of paper to keep. The crew didn't know what it was but Ace was adamant that it was important. He also left with an odd request to Emmy. He had given her hand a little squeeze before asking her, "Hey, Emmy. Can you tell how I'm feeling right now?"

Emmy had blinked and then taken off her headband to really focus on Ace's emotions. "Yes, you're feeling-"

"No, don't describe it," he had interrupted with a grin, "Just feel that and remember it, okay?"

"Oh...okay…"

After a few moments he enveloped her in a hug and then whispered into her ear. "That's how an older brother should feel about a younger sister. Remember that."

It was all very perplexing and even now, Emmy wasn't sure what exactly Ace meant.

"GAHHHH! CROCODILE!"

"Eh?" The group looked over at a nearby sanddune and spotted the captain running back and forth with his arms outstretched.

"Crocodile!" Luffy roared at the top of his lungs, "I'm going to kick your butt!"

"What's he freaking out about?" Sanji asked.

"Did he eat a weird cactus?" Usopp asked.

"Ugh. Hasn't he caused enough trouble for today?" Nami groaned, "Chopper? Do you have anything to fix Luffy?"

Emmy glanced back at the ship's doctor, who was being pulled by the swordsman on a makeshift sled. The desert heat had finally gotten to the winter island native. "I don't think he would be much help right now."

"Oh geez. Alright, Zoro. Prude. You guys deal with it then," Nami said with a wave her hand.

"Wait! Why me?!" Zoro demanded, "Emmy can just put him to sleep or something and then drag him back."

"You want me to double your debt?" Nami threatened.

"It would be good for you to come along," Emmy said as she made her way towards Luffy without any complaints, "Judging by his tone, he's in a combative mood."

Zoro scowled but dutifully followed the first mate while pulling the doctor behind him.

"Raaaaaaaaaaaa!' Luffy screamed and ran away from them towards some unseen target, "Crocodile!"

Emmy gasped and hitched up her tunic and went after him. "Luffy! Stop! Luffy!"

She raced over mounds of sand dunes, kicking up sand everywhere, with Luffy's straw hat fixed in her sights.

"Wait a second!" Zoro shouted when he finally caught up to her. He grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around, "Don't run off too fast otherwise you might get lost!"

Luffy stopped his thrashing and faced them. "Emmy?"

Zoro let out a sigh of relief. "Oh good, he's come back to his senses. Oy, Luffy. You-"

"Grrrr! Let go of her, Crocodile!" Luffy scowled.

"Oh dear," Emmy said as they watched Luffy push up his sleeves and bend his legs.

"Looks like it's come to this again," Zoro sighed and stepped in front of Emmy while rolling up his own sleeves, "Emmy, you look after Chopper. Let me wake up this fool."

"Just don't use your swords!" Emmy warned while Zoro dashed forward.

"I know!" Zoro barked back.

"Gum-Gum Submarine!"

Luffy's fist came charging through the sand and up towards Zoro's chin. The swordsman avoided it easily but the first mate was not so lucky and it punched her clear across the face and sending her tumbling down the other side of the sand dune.

Emmy wasn't sure how long she had been out but by the time she woke up, she was covered in at least 3 inches of sand.

"Oh dear," Emmy gasped when she remembered what had caused her to be in this state. she scrambled up and over the sand dune, "Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear."

Both Zoro and Luffy were locked in a frozen state with each other's fist lodged right against one cheek. They were torso deep in sand and she could only see the white in their eyes. Zoro had a nosebleed while there was a drizzle of blood over the side of Luffy's mouth. A gust of hot wind blew swept by her feet as she hopped between her nakama.

"Zoro? Luffy?" Emmy tried giving both their shoulders a shake but the men weren't budging. "Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear."

She scrambled back up to wear the reindeer was buried. "Chopper? Dr. Chopper? I need your help…I only know how to put people to sleep. I don't know how to wake them-"

She gasped as an idea struck and she ran back to the two boys. She looked between the two of them to decide who she should wake up first.

"I know this would work on Luffy but what if he wakes up and gets another fit?" Emmy wondered out loud and then absentmindedly smoothed out the front of her tunic, "Maybe I should try to wake up Zoro then…"

She took a deep breath and pinched Zoro's nose. "1...2...3...4...5...6…7...8...9...10?!" Emmy gasped and hurriedly let go of the swordsman's nose when his face started to turn purple but yet he still wasn't waking up.

"HOT!" Suddenly, the reindeer came bursting through the sand and coughing up sand, "What happened? Where am I?"

"Dr. Chopper!" Emmy cried, "Please come help!"

"Emmy? What's going on?" Chopper asked as he slid down the sand dune and towards Emmy, "Ah! What happened to Zoro and Luffy?!"

"They accidentally took each other out...I'm trying to wake up Zoro but he's not responding to me and-" Emmy started to explain.

"Say no more. I got just the thing," Chopper said. He took off his backpack and started to rummage through it. Then he pulled out a bottle of smelling salts and stuck it under the swordsman's nose. "This should do the trick."

WIthin seconds, Zoro was awake and coughing up a fit. "Th...Thank you," Zoro gasped and then he winced and felt his jaw, "Where are the others?"

"They should be right over…" Emmy started to say as she climbed up to the top of the highest sand dune, expecting to see their nakama in the distance somewhere, "...No...Maybe I'm facing the wrong direction."

She ran to an opposite sand dune and looked up. "Oh dear…I think they went on without us."

"Those cold hearted bastards but that's alright. We'll just retrace our steps and then follow their footprints," Zoro sighed.

"Erm…." Emmy bit her lip as she looked down. The desert was smooth with only Emmy and Chopper's footprints from when they awakened, "Footprints?"

"Are you kidding me?!" Zoro seethed.

"It's okay! I remember we were heading that way!" Emmy said and pointed towards her right, "So we'll just keep walking that way until we catch up to everyone or see their footprints."

"Are you sure?" Zoro asked with a raised eyebrow.

Emmy nodded. "Yep! The sun was in front of us when we were walking with the others so we should walk towards the sun!"

"But doesn't the sun move?" Chopper asked.

"Oh yeah..." Emmy said.

"Oh god…" Zoro moaned.

"It's okay! We'll just keep walking in that direction," Chopper said with forced optimism, "I don't think that much time has passed so we'd going in a general direction. Maybe I can catch their scent when the wind comes again."

Zoro sighed and threw Luffy over his shoulder. "Well, it's better than nothing. Alright, let's go then. Chopper, can you handle the heat? I can't pull you while carrying this guy as well."

"I can pull you if you need," Emmy offered.

"I'm good," Chopper said and returned to his normal form, "I think I can handle walking for the rest of the day. Also, if you need help carrying Luffy, I can do that too."

"We can trade until this idiot comes to," Zoro agreed, "Emmy, lead the way."

"Yosh!" Emmy thrust her fist up in the air and walked on ahead.

That was the last spoken word for several hours as they walked under the desert sun. By the time their captain came to, Zoro and Chopper had already swapped hands three times and he was slung over the reindeer's shoulders.

"Are you finally sane again?" Zoro grumbled as Luffy rubbed his head, "God, you're such a nuisance."

"Huh? Wha? Huh?" Luffy asked and then he spotted Emmy up ahead, "Oh! Emmy! Can I have some water?! It's hot."

"No," was all Emmy could bring herself to say.

"Stingy," Luffy pouted and then he took a better look at his surroundings, "Eh? Where are the others?"

"Dunno," Zoro said.

"Huh? You don't know?" Luffy asked.

"I'm not sure, to be more precise," Zoro said.

"Don't be joking at a time like this," Luffy lectured.

The corner of Zoro's lip and left eye began to twitch. "Heh. Heh. Heh."

"This is no time to be laughing," Luffy sighed.

Zoro's face darkened. "I know."

Luffy frowned. "Don't tell me we're lost," he complained.

"WHOSE FAULT DO YOU THINK THAT IS?!" Chopper and Zoro seethed.

"Eh? Mine?" Luffy asked innocently.

Zoro willed himself not to reach for his katanas and slice and dice the captain. Then a thought occurred to him and he smiled maliciously at the boy. "Oy, Luffy...you know what you did?"

"What? What did I do?"

"You knocked out Emmy."

Luffy frowned again and this time his brows knitted together. "That's really not funny, Zoro."

"I'm not joking, Luffy. Just ask Emmy and be honest, Emmy! He needs to know what he did."

Luffy looked expectantly at his first mate but then his jaw dropped when she very hesitantly gave a nod.

"Yeah...it's true," she said very quietly. If they were anywhere else, Luffy might not have heard her but they weren't. They were stuck in the middle of nothing, "But it wasn't really your fault you-"

Before she could even attempt to make him feel better, Luffy's entire body deflated and he sank to his knees. "Nooooooooooo," he moaned, "I am so so so so sorry."

Emmy hurried over to Luffy while the other two continued on their way. She helped him to his feet and dusted off his clothes. "It's okay. I'm fine now. It wasn't entirely your fault. I got in the way of the punch, you see. You were hallucinating and you thought Zoro was Crocodile and-"

Luffy snapped to attention and he raised a fist. "Zoro is Crocodile?!'

"HOW BIG OF AN IDIOT ARE YOU?!" Zoro and Chopper shouted.

They continued on their way with Emmy explaining to a very downtrodden Luffy what had happened. She tried to break it to him as gently as possible but he was still a ball of guilt even after she finished recapping everything. Zoro and Chopper were discussing something up ahead but Emmy couldn't make out what they were saying since Luffy was trying to apologize as best as he could in the desert heat.

"Geeeeeeeaaaahhhh'm so sorrryyyyyyyeeeaahhhh geeehhhhh," Luffy moaned, "Geeeeooow can I make this up to youooooahhh gehhhh?"

"It's really okay. Let's just focus on getting back to the others," Emmy tried again.

"Geeehhhhhh," Luffy moaned.

"Oh look!" Emmy said with a smile as she pointed up ahead towards a large boulder that protruded more on the top and created a deep shadow at it's base, "I think there's shade up ahead."

"You want shade?! Yosh! LET'S GO TO THE SHAAAADE!" Luffy shouted, suddenly full of energy with such an achievable goal, "Gum-gum-"

His two arms shot forward, around Emmy, past Zoro and Chopper, whose faces turned pale when they realized what Luffy was doing, and his hands grabbed onto the rocks, "Rocket!"

"AHHHHHH!" Emmy, Zoro, and Chopper screamed as they were sling shotted with their captain forward and crash landed right under the shade.

"SHishishishishi! Yay! We're in the shade. It's so nice and cool! What else do you want, Emmy? Let me know!" Luffy laughed as he perched himself up on the part of the rock.

Emmy and Zoro immediately leapt to their feet with the first mate trying to hold the swordsman back. Zoro's malicious intent was just as thick as the sweat pouring down his face as he held tightly onto two of his katanas. "I outta chop you into pieces!"

"Oh! My bad! My bad!" Luffy laughed, "Huh? Where's Chopper?"

He looked around from his seat and saw Chopper's backpack poking out from the sand, a few feet away from them and directly under the sun. "Oooh, what's he doing out there? Is he trying to act funny?"

"Just a small cut, Emmy. Just give me a pinky or a toe. He doesn't need all 10 toes," Zoro growled.

"Luffy!" Emmy shouted sternly over her shoulder while holding tightly onto Zoro's wrists.

Luffy quickly changed his tune and got down on his knees. "Right. It was my fault. I sincerely apologize," he said and gave a deep bow.

"God!" Zoro sighed as he released his grip on his katanas and pulled away from Emmy, "This guy…"

He sat himself down on a nearby rock and rested his elbows on his knees. "I- Whaaa!"

Without warning, the ground broke and Zoro fell straight down with sand pouring over him.

"Zoro! Are you okay?!" Emmy gasped as she ran over towards the hole. It was so deep that she couldn't see anything even when she leaned right over the edge.

"Dammit! That hurts!" Zoro cursed, "What is this place?"

"You're hurt?" Emmy gasped as she leapt over the edge, "Here. Let me take a look!"

"What?! No. Don't come down here!" Zoro cried out and instinctively held out his arms when he saw the first mate falling right at him, "Oof! Why are you down here?!"

"You said you were hurt," Emmy said and then she frowned, "Should I not have come down?"

"Well, it's too late now," Zoro sighed and he tilted her forward so that she could stand up on her own. His eyes adjusted to the light and he saw a corner of a large stone tablet jutting out from the sand amongst broken pillars and crumbling stone walls, "What's that?"

Emmy and him walked over towards it. As they got closer, they could see that the tablet was actually a cube and they had engravings on all sides of them. Emmy reached out to touch the markings and she looked over at Zoro. "I'm not very good with reading so I can't tell if these are letters or...pictures?'

Zoro shook his head. "I can't read it either. The more important question is what's something like this-"

"Doing underground?" Luffy finished.

"Exactly," Zoro said and then he stiffened

"Luffy?!" Zoro and Emmy gasped as they turned to face the rubber boy.

"What the hell are you doing down here?" Zoro demanded.

"Well, you were down here and so was Emmy," Luffy said.

"That's not a good reason!" Zoro shouted.

"Luffy, with you down here, we might get separated from Chopper! It's bad enough we're separated from Vivi-sama and the others," Emmy sighed.

"Oh, don't worry about that," Luffy grinned, "Cause when I came down, I saw Chopper was falling down too."

"What?"

"AHHHHHH!" Another part of the underground ceiling broke and the reindeer came crashing down right behind the cube.

"Dr. Chopper! Are you okay?" Emmy asked as she ran over to the reindeer and helped him to his feet.

"Owww," Chopper moaned, "What is this place?"

"No idea, but whatever it is. It's definitely underground," Zoro said as he and Luffy came around to join them, "Have your eyes adjusted to the darkness?"

Chopper squinted his eyes and then closed one, then the other. "Not quite."

"Mine have," Emmy said and she leaned back so she could see right to the top, where Zoro had fallen. With the skylight he had created she was able to see walls arching up from all sides, "It looks like we're inside a giant dome."

"Ah," Zoro said, "Manmade too. There's no way rocks could form so perfectly."

"These are probably ancient ruins or something," Chopper said as he sniffed the air. Then he noticed the engraved cube and he stepped closer to it, "These picture-like writings...I saw it in a book or something before. These are ancient letters."

"Who cares about that stuff?" Luffy sighed as he rolled around in the sand, "It's so nice and cold down here. Feels nice!"

"Now, do you think this place was built underground or did it get buried after it was built?" Emmy asked, ignoring the captain's antics.

"I don't know why, but I get the feeling they were trying to hide this building," Chopper said.

"Whoever made this put in a lot of work…" Zoro sighed, "But we need to see if they worked on a ladder or something because we need to get the hell out of here. Right, Captain?"

He turned to see that Luffy was still rolling around in the cold sand.

"Noooo! Let's stay here a little longer. It's hot outside," Luffy whined.

"One pinky toe. That's all I ask!" Zoro begged again with Emmy back to preventing him to draw out his swords.

"LUFFY!" Emmy shouted.

Luffy leapt to his feet. "Okay. Time to get outta here. We gotta meet up with the others! Gum-Gum...Pistol!"

He shot his arm out towards the Zoro-made hole and grabbed onto the side only to have it break off and fall right back down on him.

"What are you doing?" Zoro demanded, "Stop playing around!"

"I'll get it this time!" Luffy shouted as he threw out his arm again, "Gum-Gum Pistol!"

Again, he grabbed on to the edge but again it broke off and came crumbling down on top of him.

"Ugh! This is so annoying!" Luffy said and started to throw both his fists up into the air, "Gum-Gum Gatling!"

"EH?!"

Chopper, Zoro, and Emmy ran for cover as Luffy enlarged the hole exponentially. The entire boulder that had served as their shade was broken into pieces and it all came straight down on where the pirates once stood.

"Alright, all better!" Luffy said with a grin.

"Are you crazy?! What are you gonna grab on to now that you broke that boulder?!" Zoro seethed.

Emmy followed Luffy's eyeline towards a stone pillar that stood about twenty feet tall and broken at the tip. "Oh dear…" she said as Luffy walked over towards it.

"Chopper, you should probably turn little for this," Luffy advised and then wrapped both his arms around the pillar at least ten times, "Grab on, guys!"

"So it's come to this, huh?" Zoro sighed, "Alright, guys. No use fighting it. Let's just give up."

"Huh?" Chopper asked as he watched Emmy link her arms under Luffy's and clung tightly to his back.

"Come on, Chopper," Zoro said as he grabbed onto Luffy's right arm.

Chopper turned back to his normal self and he jumped up to grab onto Luffy's left, "Are...are you sure about this?"

"Here goes!" Luffy shouted, "Gum-Gum Spring!"

He kicked up off the ground and they circled around and around the pillar before the rubber boy let go and they came hurtling out the dome and into the burning desert sky.

"AHHHHHHH!" Chopper and Emmy screamed with their cheeks blowing out from the force.

"How are we supposed to land?!" Chopper exclaimed when he saw they were still going at an upward trajectory.

"That's why I said to just give it up!" Zoro shouted.

"You don't mean…" Chopper whimpered as they began to descend.

"Hang on," Emmy advised, "It'll be over before you know it."

"I want this whole day to be over!" Zoro grunted.

"Brace yourself!" Chopper yelled as they plummeted back down on the sand.

Kaboom!

"Yahahahhaha," Luffy cheered when it was all over and the sand cloud settled back down onto the ground, "Successful escape! Hey? Where is everyone?"

"I...I think I chose the wrong ship to join…" Chopper groaned with his two hooves twitching towards the sun.

"You must've read my mind," Zoro grunted with only his head above the sand.

"At...at least the sun is setting," Emmy said while lying face down in the sand, "The sand feels cooler than before."

"Way to stay positive, Emmy," Zoro sighed.

"Somebody has to…"


	56. I am Hopeful.

By a stroke of luck, Emmy and her group were able to rejoin Vivi and the others right before sundown. The sky was a magenta and violet blend and the temperature was much more bearable. Everyone was in good spirits when they saw each other and that was only further fueled with the princess' announcement that Yuba was just within reach.

"Just over those two dunes up ahead," she said.

"Wahoo!" Chopper and Luffy cheered with vigor.

"Ugh, carry me, Zoro," Usopp said as he leaned up against the swordsman, "I'm so tired."

"Don't be a wimp," Zoro huffed. He brushed off the sniper like he would a fly and continued on his way.

"Oh! Carry me then!" Luffy exclaimed.

"And me!" Chopper shouted.

Zoro grimaced. "Rock paper scissors then."

"YAYYYY!" Chopper and Luffy cheered.

Usopp grinned and rolled up his sleeves. "Yosh! Let this legendary rock-paper-scissors champion show you how it's done!"

"Rock...paper...scissors!" Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp shouted together.

"I WIN!" Usopp cheered and raised his fist in the air.

"EHHHH?!" Luffy and Chopper screeched as both held up their scissors.

"Alright, Zoro. Carry me!" Usopp shouted with unabashed confidence. He threw his arms out and ignored the roll of the swordsman's eyes as he hoisted the sniper over his shoulder.

"Ahhh, this feels nice," Usopp sighed as he dangled over the swordsman's back.

_Zzzzzzz!_

Zoro's jaw dropped. "Asleep already?!"

The wind picked up, bringing through cooler air as well as more sand. The group covered their faces with their head wraps and walked the last couple miles towards Yuba. The wind only got stronger with every step they took.

"Up ahead. I see a light," Vivi called from the top of Lashes.

"Really? I can't see with all this sand," Luffy sighed.

Emmy tilted her head to the side when low rumblings tickled her ears. "Do you guys hear that?"

_Hehehehehe._

"I hear...something but I don't know what…" Sanji agreed, "That...scratchy whistling noise?"

"Eh?" Emmy asked, "I don't hear that at all...Scratching and whistling?"

A strangled gasp came out of Vivi's throat and she nudged Lashes forward. "The city doesn't look right."

The group ran after her and as they got closer, they could see a sandstorm spiraling all around the city and fully consuming it in it's whirling wrath.

"Oh no!" Vivi cried.

_Heheheheh._

This time Emmy knew for sure there was a person laughing and it was the same laugh they had heard in Erumalu. "Someone's there..."

Both Sanji and Zoro looked over at her in alarm. "You can feel someone through the sandstorm, Emmy-chan?!" Sanji asked, "Have your powers gotten stronger?"

Emmy shook her head. "No, but I think I hear someone. Someone's in the sandstorm."

Zoro glanced over at the princess, whose hands were twisting around and around itself as she kept her eyes on the city's faint silhouette. "Well, there's really nothing we can do about it until this storm goes away."

Maybe she had seen enough sandstorms to know the timing or maybe it was just her urgency to check on the city overpowered her sense of safety but Vivi tore off on Lashes towards the city and reached it just as the last breeze of the storm died down. By the time the rest of the pirates caught up to her, she was practically in tears with the navigator sitting behind her with both hands on her shoulders in an attempt for comfort. This once vibrant oasis had been fully devoured by the harsh desert danger.

"This is bad...It's almost no different from that Erumalu city," Zoro grunted as he slowed his pace to a walk once they reached the city limits.

"Shh," Emmy whispered and tugged at Zoro's sleeves. When she got his attention she directed it towards the saddened princess, who had come off of Lashes and was walking further into the city.

"Ah. Right. Sorry."

"Bleh! Where's water?" Luffy huffed and then ran forward with his tongue wagging out. When he got about a few feet ahead of the group, he let out a shout, "Hey! There's an old guy here. Hey, old guy!"

Quickly, his nakama came racing over to join him.

"You were right, Emmy-chan!" Sanji gasped.

"I...I guess I was," Emmy said.

The man was standing with his back while he shoveled sand out of the center of a hole. The hole was about as wide as a house would be but only several feet deep. He must've been at it for a long time because he was covered in sweat and sand. His clothes were torn along the sleeves and hem with the elbows being the most worn part of the cloth.

"You must be exhausted from your trek through the desert…" the man said without turning around to see them or to even stop the rhythm of his digging.

Emmy's head turned from side to side. This was a different voice. It was more ragged...and kinder. Much kinder.

"Sorry, this town is a bit dried up but you're free to rest here if you want," the man said. He set down his shovel just to shoot them a brief warm smile. Vivi lowered her head and tightened up her head wrap just as he did so. Thankfully, he didn't recognize her and he went back to his shoveling, "There are plenty of inns here. They are this town's pride, after all."

"Umm...we came because we heard the rebel army was in the city..." Vivi started to say.

The man turned around but this time there was no smile, just a firm glare from his bloodshot eyes. "What business do you have with the rebel army?" he asked. He brandished his shovel and waved it around like a sword, "Curse you! Don't tell me you're hoping to join the rebellion?!"

"N-No! Not at all!" Vivi cried and placed her two hands up in surrender, "We're just looking for them to talk to them!"

"What do you have to talk to them about besides joining?!" he yelled back.

"W-we have a friend who joined! We're trying to talk him out of it!" Nami jumped in, the more seasoned liar of the two.

"Ah...I can understand that feeling," the man said, lowering his shovel and heaving a big sigh, "If you're looking for those fools, they left town long ago."

"They what?!" the group cried.

"A sandstorm hit the town just now but it certainly wasn't the first," the man said as he continued on with his digging, "The sand has dried up after three years of drought and sandstorms began to frequent this town ever since. Little by little, the oasis of the past was swallowed up. Leaving what you see now. With the town's flow of supplies gone, the rebel army moved its base to Katorea."

The deep sinking feeling the princess experienced was felt by the first mate and Emmy bit her lip. "Oh dear…"

"Where's that, Vivi? Is Katorea close by?" Luffy asked.

"It's an oasis next to Nanohana," Vivi moaned.

The man stopped his digging and Emmy felt the slight pang of surprise but then her concentration was completely taken away towards someone she didn't expect would feel any sense of recognition from.

"L...Lashes-kun?" the first mate asked as she walked over to the camel and rubbed his nose, "You know that place well?"

"Brrum. Brrrum brrrum bruum," the camel blubbered back.

"When the reindeer saved me, I was carrying rebel army good to Katorea,'" Chopper translated.

Emmy swiftly was pushed out of the way by Sanji, Usopp, and Luffy.

"Why didn't you say so sooner?!" they seethed as they stomped down the camel.

_Pffft._

"'Whatever,'" Chopper translated again, which gave the camel another thrashing. Even Emmy was too tired and too dejected to even stop the boys from going too far.

"Why did we come all this way then?" Zoro sighed as he rubbed the sweat off his head.

"Vivi? You called her Vivi, didn't you? You are Vivi-chan, right?"

The group gasped and spun around to face the old man, who was climbing up his hole towards the princess.

"Wait, old guy! Vivi isn't the princess! She hasn't been posing as a bounty hunter at Whiskey Peak to get information to save this country! She's not trying to stop the rebellion at all! She's not that Vivi!" Luffy screamed.

"YOU'RE TALKING TOO MUCH!" Zoro seethed and managed to give the captain a punch of the head with Usopp still balanced on his shoulder.

"Vivi-can...It is you," The old man breathed when he got in front of Vivi. He placed his hands on the princess' shoulders and tears welled up in his eyes, "You're alive. I'm so relieved. It's me! Don't you recognize me?! I can't really blame you...I did lose some weight."

Vivi's eyes widened and suddenly, her eyes turned misty but that was the extent. "Toto-ojisan?" she whispered.

"That's right!" he said with a happy nod, "Vivi-chan! I have faith in His Majesty! He's not a person who would ever betray this kingdom. He's the one who loves this place the most. Don't you agree?"

A tear slipped down Emmy's eyes and she felt her throat dry up even more than it already was. Her tears became a stream and it became harder to breathe. She sucked in a breath but it only ended up becoming a sob.

"Emmy-chan! Did you lose your headband?" Sanji gasped as he rushed over to her and flipped her headwrap down, "Eh? It's still there. Are the bonds not working?"

"It's...it's not that…" Emmy whispered, "It's just...it's just…"

"Sanji. Move…" Luffy's soft command was enough for the cook to stand aside. The captain took his place and then gently pushed Emmy from the back of the head so that she was weeping right into his chest.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry…This isn't about me right now and I know it...," Emmy whimpered, "It's just…"

"I know," Luffy said.

She cried for a few more minutes and finally it was down to just a sniffle. She wiped her eyes with her sleeves. Then she took a step back and smiled sheepishly at her brother. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to cause a scene."

"You didn't," Luffy said and he nodded over to the rest of the group, "No one seems to be looking at us at all."

Emmy blinked and realized that Luffy was right. The old man was still crying in front of Vivi. Both overwhelmed by their reunion, both of them on their knees, and the others were watching them instead of her and Luffy.

"Vivi-chan…" Toto sobbed, "This rebellion is ridiculous! Those fools...So what if it hasn't rained for a mere three years? I have faith in His Majesty. Most of the country still does, in fact. So many times...So many times I tried to stop them but they won't stop. The rebellion won't stop. Their strength is at its limit too. They tend to settle things once and for all in the next attack. Their backs are against the wall...They're prepared to die."

"Toto-ojisan..." Vivi whispered.

"Please...Vivi-chan...Please stop them!" Toto begged.

He bowed his head to the floor and when he lifted it back up, Vivi held out a folded handkerchief to him. "Don't worry, Toto-ojisan," she said with a small smile, "We will stop the rebellion."

Toto's eyes filled with tears once again and he bowed once more. "Thank you...Thank you…"

"Please get up, Toto-ojisan," Vivi requested as she helped Toto to his feet.

"Thank you, Vivi-chan," he said again and then let out a chuckle, "Look at you helping me. You must have travelled a long way to get here."

"A complete detour if you ask me," Zoro snorted which earned him a light elbow from the first mate, "Sorry, Emmy."

"Please get some rest!" Toto said and then waved his arms around towards the buildings, "Choose any inn to slay in. The beds are still good."

"Thank you, old man!" Nami shouted and headed straight for the biggest building she could see, "Don't mind if we do."

Usopp suddenly straightened out on top of Zoro's shoulder like a wooden plank and he jumped to the floor, dashing after the navigator. "Eh? Did somebody say inn? Alright! Time to sleep!"

"OY! How long have you been awake?" Zoro seethed, storming after the sniper.

"This is my first time staying at an inn!" Chopper squealed and clapped his hooves with delight.

Sanji caught up to Chopper and ran his eyes over the sand covered town. "Don't get your hopes up. It'll probably not that different from our previous living situation."

"Oh dear…" Emmy sighed and she gave a quick nod of thanks towards the old man, "Thank you, Toto-san, for your generosity. We will clean up after ourselves. Don't you worry." With that she scurried off after her nakama with slight fear that they've already caused some sort of damage.

It warmed Emmy's heart to see that despite having basically access to every room and every bed in the entire town, the crew still chose to sleep in the room with enough beds for them to all stay together. The swordsman did make it a point that it was the safest thing to do, in case they were attacked but Emmy knew that it wasn't that big of a factor when he agreed to the sleeping arrangements.

"Alright! Excellent work today, my fellows!" Usopp yawned as he stretched his arms out and plopped belly first onto the mattress, "Let's hit the hay and regain our strength for tomorrow! Nighty-night!"

_Zzzzz!_

_Thwack!_

With the swordsman's strength, he easily knocked the sniper straight out of his bed with a soft fluffy pillow. "You've been sleeping this whole time!"

"Why...you…" Usopp snarled as he climbed back up on his bed with the two pillows in hand, "Don't compare me with you monsters!"

_Thwack!_

The pillow hit Zoro directly in the face.

"So that's how you wanna do this, huh?" Zoro growled as the pillow slid down to the ground.

_Thwack!_

Without warning, a pillow was sent towards the reindeer, knocking him straight off his feet. "Besides, you win the laziness award, Blue-Nose!"

"It's not my fault I can't stand the heat, you stupid Long-Nose!" Chopper cried and gave the sniper a taste of his own medicine.

_Thwack!_

Emmy sighed and rushed to the middle of the room. "Guys...guys...please, don't fight. You might break something. You might-"

"Sanji-san! Erm...I thought this was my bed but if you want I can-" Vivi's protest captured Emmy's attention and she watch the cook lounge right in front of the princess while holding up the blanket.

"Yes, yes," Sanji said with a grin, "I thought you might have a hard time sleeping alone tonight."

_Thwack!_

Two pillows hit Sanji on both sides of his head. One from the swordsman and one from the sniper.

Emmy couldn't help but stifle a chuckle behind her hands. The look on the cook's face was just too amusing.

"That took some nerve," he said with the corner of his raised eyebrow twitching out of sheer annoyance, "Which one of you is spoiling for a fight?"

He cracked his knuckles and suddenly all three men and Chopper started throwing the nearest pillows at each other with Emmy caught in the middle.

_Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!_

"AH!" Sanji gasped as the pillows connected with her face, shoulder, torso, and back, "Emmy-chan...Are you alright? I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to-"

_Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!_

In one swift motion, all four pillows went flying back to it's original owners with just as much strength and force. As the guys gaped at the first mate, she bounced another stack of pillows with just one hand. "Are you guys sure you want to go down this road? I'm very good at pillow throwing. I used to have to make beds for a lot of rooms."

"But this isn't room service, little girl," Usopp said with a smirk as he pulled out his goggles and fitted it to his eyes.

"It's a war," Zoro added with a grin and a raised eyebrow.

Emmy giggled and quickly tossed the pillows in the air with one hand and then caught it all again, in one neat little pile with the other hand. "I believe you're in foreign territory. Not me."

"Let's," Zoro said as he drew his pillow back over his head.

"Do," Usopp and Chopper said, holding two pillows each.

"This," Sanji finished with a grin as he smoothly walked over to cover Emmy's back.

The room erupted into an all-out battle with pillows flying in all directions. No one was safe. Not the princess and certainly not the navigator, who protested from her top bunk only to have a pillow hit her courtesy of the sniper. By the time it was finished, everyone was flat on their backs, some on the beds while others just stayed on the floor. All of them were gasping for air and laughing it out.

"Ah...now I'm _really_ tired," Usopp panted, "Good night for real this time."

"Night, guys," Zoro said.

"Eh?" Emmy sat up from the bed. "Luffy hasn't come in yet."

"Meh, he's probably doing something troublesome," Sanji yawned with a shrug, "Leave him and get some rest, Emmy-chan."

"You guys go ahead. I'll just go check on him," Emmy replied as she headed for the door. She stopped under the doorframe and turned to look at her nakama as they all crawled under the covers one by one with the princess being the last to rest her head. When their eyes met, Emmy paused if to say something but then thought better of it. She took a deep breath and gave a small nod to the room, "Night, everyone."

"Good night, Emmy," the room chorused back.

"Chan," Sanji finished and then disappeared underneath a blanket.

Emmy giggled and turned off the lights. She left the inn and was not surprised to find Luffy digging in the trench right next to Toto.

"Oh! Emmy! You're here!" Luffy cheered when she knelt over the edge to get a better look, "Hey! The old guy said if we keep digging, we'll get water!"

"Really?" Emmy gasped. Beneath her hands, the sand felt bone dry.

Toto looked up from his shoveling and grinned. "There'll be water. The Yuba oasis is still alive. I'll dig it back up as many times as it takes. This is an important land entrusted to me by the king. I will not let him down."

"So the oasis is under the sand...It's not dried out?" Emmy asked.

"Yuba can't be beaten by some lousy sand. You'll see," Toto said as he went back to digging, "I have faith and hope."

"I'm hopeful too," Emmy said and then she thought about her nakama. The pillow fight came to mind and a thought occurred to her, "Toto-sama...The inn...It's very clean. Have you been cleaning as well as digging?"

Toto nodded. "Ah. Once the water returns, people will want to come back to their businesses. To their homes. I want to make sure it's all still here when they get back. Although, I must admit, I've been a little behind on the cleaning. There has been more frequent sandstorms so I had to focus on digging to get it back on track."

"You really care about Yuba, don't you, Toto-Ojisan?"

Toto paused in his digging and he leaned up against his shovel to smile brilliantly at Emmy. "Not just Yuba. This country...It's a wonderful country. You wait and see. The rain will be back and everything will be restored. The king will make it right. He loves this country more than I do and so does Vivi-chan. I know that."

Emmy stared hard into his eyes that were still moist from his reunion with the princess. They dazzled under the waxing moon like stars. Then she got up to her feet and smoothed her hands on the front of her shirt. "Well, I'll leave you to it then. Good night."

She shared a determined look with Luffy before she left but she didn't go back to the inn. No...she went to the one next door and started to tidy that one up. Then the one after that. Then the next and the next. By the time she had curled up next to Luffy, who Toto-Ojisan had brought into their room after the rubber boy had fallen asleep in the hole, Emmy had swept, dusted, and folded every furniture, surface, and fabric still in tact.


	57. I am Not What You Should Be Worried About

After a night's rest, the group bade farewell to Toto at dawn. As a parting gift, he gave Luffy a small barrel of water. The fruit of their hard night's labor. Luffy had promised to drink it with care even without Emmy's prompting. With some discussion between the navigator and the princess, they headed back towards Katorea.

The morning sun had not yet fully warmed the desert, making the journey fairly pleasant. The group joked and laughed with each other as they discussed the potential of Pillow War 2. However, Emmy was surprised to find that Luffy wasn't immediately jumping in on the idea. He was always eager for a fight and equally hated being left out of the action so his silence was out of character. In fact, the captain had been quiet all morning ever since they left Yuba and Emmy could feel his grinding frustration build up and up until finally, he gave in to it.

"That's it!" he huffed, plopping himself down onto the sand and leaning his head behind his hands.

"Eh? Luffy? Are you not feeling well?" Chopper asked.

"Nope," Luffy said with a frown, "I quit."

"You quit?!" Nami repeated, "What are you talking about?"

"Oy, we don't have time to put up with your whims, you know. Emmy! Talk some sense into him," Usopp sighed with a hand on his hip.

That was met by silence and the sniper looked over at the first mate, who was staring thoughtfully at the protesting captain.

"Emmy?" Usopp asked.

"Luffy!" Sanji tried, "If we don't get back to Katorea and stop the revolt, a million citizens here are going to clash and things'll get ugly quick. Do you realize that?! This is for Vivi-chan! So let's go!"

He grabbed Luffy by the collar only to have Luffy grab his arm right back and throw him to the side. "That's boring," Luffy stated.

"B-Boring?!" Sanji cried as he got to his feet, "We're talking about a war here and your issue is that it's boring?!"

"Vivi!" Luffy said, ignoring the cook.

"Yes?"

"I wanna kick Crocodile's ass!" he roared.

Vivi sucked in a breath and took a step back, surprised and alarmed by the harsh tone he was taking with her.

"If we stop the people rebelling, will that stop Crocodile?" Luffy continued, "Besides, we won't be able to do anything in Katorea anyway. We're pirates! Things are better off without us around. Pirates mixed in with rebels? That'll only complicate things."

Sanji sighed and crossed his arms. "He can really get straight to the point without thinking sometimes…"

"Despite being Luffy," Usopp muttered.

"Th-that's-" Vivi tried to explain.

"You want it so nobody dies. None of the citizens and none of us," Luffy said, "Even when there's a Warlord involved...and a million people going wild. You hope everyone will stay safe and sound. Your people...us...Don't you think that's too naive?"

"Hold on, Luffy!" Nami interjected and rushed in to the princess' aid, "Show some sympathy for Vivi. She's-"

Sanji held up an arm in front of Nami. "Wait, Nami-san."

"But…" Nami said but then she saw that he, Zoro, and even Emmy had a similar look on their face. They were all solemn with their eyes glued on the captain. The navigator frowned. What were they seeing that she wasn't?

Vivi took in a shaky breath and pulled down her hood to show Luffy she meant business. "And what's wrong with that?" she demanded, "What's wrong with not wanting people to die?!"

Luffy's eyes bore into hers. "People die," he said with his head still relaxing on his hands.

His matter of fact tone and entire attitude were like a match and flame in Vivi's heart.

_Thwack!_

She slapped him hard across the face and sent him tumbling across the sand. "Stop talking like that!" she screamed while shaking her head as if that would erase his words, "Why is it wrong for me to not want anyone to die?! The rebel army, the royal army, and the citizens...they haven't done anything wrong so why do people have to die when it's all Crocodile's fault?!"

"AHHH!" Luffy yelled as he leapt off the ground and landed a hard punch across Vivi's face.

_Thwack!_

"AH!" Vivi cried out in pain.

"Then why are you putting your own life on the line?!" he demanded over the sprawled princess.

"Whoa, Luffy! That's crossing a line!" Usopp shouted.

"Damn it, Luffy!" Sanji seethed as he pushed his sleeves up. Even Emmy was completely taken aback by how far he had taken things.

"Luffy?" she whispered just as she felt Zoro's hand on her shoulder.

"Let him handle it," the swordsman said

Vivi glared at Luffy and then lunged at him. She tackled him to the ground, his straw hat flying off to the side, and she pinned him by the arms but that wasn't enough to stop the rubber man from talking.

"Just one look at this kingdom and even I can tell…"

"Tell what?!" Vivi seethed. Out of sheer frustration, even though there was no way her strength outmatched his devil fruit, she started to punch and slap his face repeatedly.

"What most needs to be done!" Luffy screamed in between her hits, "You really think just putting your life on the line is enough? Just a single life?!"

"Then what should I be putting on the line?!" Vivi yelled back, "I don't have anything else! I don't have-"

Luffy's hands reached out and grabbed Vivi's arms by the wrist. He easily rolled on top of her to pin her down. "At least put our lives on the line together!" he roared right into her face, "Or are we not friends?!"

Vivi's arms went limp and her eyes flooded with tears. Luffy let go of his hold and her hands flopped to her sides. He stood back up but kept his eyes glued on the princess. She slowly sat up and her hands went to cover her weeping face. Tears seeped through her fingers and rained down her arms and onto the sand.

"Aren't we friends?" Luffy asked again in a much softer but still firm manner.

The only reply Vivi could give was the sounds of her sobs. Seeing that seemed to make the captain happy because he grinned while retrieving his hat.

"Oh, so you can cry those kinds of tears," he said quietly, "I was wondering when Emmy would have to stop crying on your behalf."

Even that revelation wasn't enough to stop the princess from her tears but the rest of the group looked at Emmy with shock.

"So that's why your cries have changed..." Sanji sighed.

"And yesterday…" Nami said, "That was because…"

Emmy ignored everyone's attention and sat down next to the princess. She leaned the princess' head against her shoulder and wrapped her arms around her. "You are holding on to so much…," Emmy whispered with her own tears glistening, "So much sadness and worry for your people...So much heartbreak from those you lost and have suffered...So much anger and hate for the ones who caused this...It's okay to feel those things. Let it out. It's okay...Let it out…"

Vivi sagged against the first mate and followed her advice. She poured her heart out with her tears and she screamed at the top of her lungs. "Ahhhhhhhh!"

_Pat. Pat._

Luffy brushed the sand off his hat as he sat himself in front of the princess. "Emmy doesn't have to tell me this. I already know that out of everyone here, you hate Crocodile and want to beat him up the most. So tell me…" He placed his hat on his head and then glared up at the sun, "Where the hell can I find him?!"

" _We_ , Luffy," Emmy corrected, "All of us...Together."

"That's right!" Usopp said and punched his fist in the air. "Whatever it is that needs to be done, just put their lives on the line, Vivi!'

_Thwack!_

Zoro smacked Usopp across the back of his head. "Don't you mean  _our_ lives on the line?"

"Whatever you wish to do, Vivi-chan," Sanji said gently, "It's your call. As Emmy-chan said, we're all in this together."

"Everyone…" Vivi whispered as she dried her eyes and steadied her breath. She looked at each of them and almost felt like weeping all over again when she saw the determination and confidence in everyone's eyes.

"Luffy-san is exactly right...So...it's decided. Change of plans. Let's go to Crocodile!"

"Sounds good to me," Nami smiled as Luffy nodded in a agreement.

Zoro sighed and crossed his arms. "Meaning no more of this roundabout traveling, right?"

"Depends on where Crocodile is," Nami answered and Zoro's shoulders dropped ever so slightly.

"Here…" Vivi said as she drew a squiggly line in the sand, "This is the river that goes through Alabasta. We're on this side…"

She drew an X on one side of the line and then an O on the other side. "And this...is Katorea."

She drew another O above the first O. "Aluburna, the city's capital is right here. The Rebel Army will be attacking there."

"Meaning we have to get to Crocodile before they get to the capital," Sanji concluded.

"Exactly," Vivi said and then she drew an X on top of the first X she drew. They were a little bit closer to each other as the two O's. "And this is Rainbase. Crocodile is here. It's about a day's journey north from here."

"So another day of walking," Zoro groaned.

"Still better than going back to where we first started from," Nami pointed out.

"True…"

"Luffy-san…" Vivi said as she got up to her feet and smiled at the captain, "Thanks. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have come to this conclusion."

"Then give me food."

"Eh?"

Luffy punched his fists together and nodded. "After I kick Crocodile's ass, gimme so much food I might die."

Vivi smiled. "Okay! I promise!"

"And-and treasure! And-" Nami started to chime in but Usopp held her back before she could barge in between the two.

"Let it go, Nami," Usopp sighed, "The deal's already made."

* * *

"Oy! Emmy! Wake up. We're-"

"Shut up, you stupid swordsman. Let Emmy-chan sleep a little more. Just because we see Rainbase doesn't mean we're there. We still got a little ways to go."

"Don't tell me what to do, you jerk. You're not the one carrying her."

Emmy's eyes opened and she lifted her head off of Zoro's back. They had walked a full day through the desert and somehow the group had found renewed energy to power through the night as well to get to Rainbase as soon as possible. Everyone that is except Chopper and Emmy. Maybe it was because of the cathartic release from the princess' suppressed emotions or maybe it was just a build up of how many restless nights Emmy had had but she was hardly able to stay awake as soon as the sun had started to set.

Zoro and Sanji had taken turns in carrying both the doctor and the first mate throughout the night. Luffy never volunteered and neither Zoro or Sanji asked him to take on any of the burden. It was an unspoken understanding amongst the three. Luffy needed to be at full strength to face Crocodile. Leave the Warlord to the captain. The other two would look out for the group.

"Oh...we're here?" Emmy mumbled and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Vivi had told them the day before that Rainbase was a gambling town, prosperous enough to survive separate from the kingdom's turmoil. Even so, it didn't prepare Emmy enough for what she saw.

Buildings, each at least triple the size of the Going Merry, sat alongside each other with ornate stone pillars and gold accents. Around them were smaller buildings but with equal intricate architecture. Lush palm trees dotted in between each building, signifying the vibrant and thriving life that was happening. At the center of the town was city's focal point.

It was a gaudy gold and green striped pyramid that towered over the entire city by at least five stories. An ornate golden alligator head sat at the very top of the pyramid, the pinnacle of the entire structure. A sign reading "Casino" blinked giant red and green letters from the front of the pyramid, announcing it is open for business for all to see.

"So that's Rainbase...Zoro, you can let me down now. I can walk," Emmy said.

"I can still go a little bit longer," Zoro grunted, "Just wanted to wake you so you were alert by the time we get there."

"Alright! Time to beat up Crocodile!" Luffy roared.

"Speaking of which, does Baroque Works know we're in this country now?" Zoro asked.

"Most likely," Nami sighed, "We did run into Mr. 2 and Miss Cultural Day, so we should assume they know we're here and what we look like."

"So what?" Luffy huffed.

"So it means we might get recognized."

"AND?!" Luffy challenged.

"Ugh...Emmy?" Usopp said as he looked to her for help.

"If we get spotted first, that means we might get caught by Crocodile before we can do anything to him," Emmy tried.

"GOOD! I'm looking for him anyways. Come out, Crocodile!" Luffy roared.

"Oh dear," Emmy sighed.

"In any case, no matter who we run into, I'll protect Nami-san, Vivi-chan, and Emmy-chan," Sanji said and gave a wink towards the ladies, "You girls can call me 'Mr. Prince'!"

Zoro shuddered. "Can you not wink at me, you pervert?"

"That wink wasn't for you!" Sanji yelled, "Don't make me kick your ass!"

"Waterr….Prince...Water…" Usopp and Chopper panted together.

"Only the ladies can call me that!"

"Water...water…" Usopp gasped.

"Me too! Water! Let's go!" Luffy cried suddenly and sprinted forward.

"Me too! Wait for me!" Usopp screeched and ran after him.

"Please bring some back for us!" Emmy called after them, "Do you have money, Luffy?!"

"I got it!" Usopp shouted before he and Luffy disappeared into the distance.

"Can we really count on them?" Sanji sighed as they walked at a much more humane pace into the city.

Zoro bent down and let Emmy down onto the ground. She smoothed out her tunic and pulled her hood further down over her head.

"You might want to take that off too…" Zoro advised and pointed at the necklace around her neck, "If anyone recognizes that, they'll probably figure out we're pirates."

"I...don't want to," Emmy said sadly and put a hand on top of Ace's present. She blinked up at the swordsman, "Do I...do I really have to?"

Zoro's teeth clenched together as he tried to fight her blue eyes. Then his jaw relaxed and he broke eye contact. "Fine. Keep it on."

_Pfft._

The swordsman's glare went right towards the sniggering cook but Sanji was unfazed. He just composed himself and threw an arm around the first mate and led her into the city.

It was by far a lot busier than Nanohana and the people here were much better dressed. Their clothes were hemmed with shiny thread and embroidered into different patterns. It was also a lot louder. People laughed louder and they talked louder. The sounds of machines clicking and bells ringing punctuated the noise.

Emmy's hand went up to touch her headband, to make sure it was secure. Being in the middle of a city, she was definitely not going to take any chances. Bond or no bond. Then her hand moved down towards her beaded necklace. She had to keep reminding herself that it wasn't a dream. She had gained another brother.

_That's how an older brother should feel about a younger sister. Remember that._

"How a brother should feel…" Emmy whispered to herself.

"Emmy-chan? Is there somewhere else you would like to go?"

Sanji's question snapped her from her thoughts and she realized that the group had veered towards the left side of the street. They were heading towards a stable where there were less people and a fenced in grassy area. As they situated themselves against the fence, Emmy noticed that Vivi was biting her lip and looking over at her every now and then.

"You don't have to apologize to me, Vivi-sama," Emmy said with a smile, "There's enough for you to worry about. I am definitely not one of them."

"But I'm the reason why you cried in Yuba and I'm the reason why you cried all those nights. I never knew...I never thought…" Vivi said, "If I had known that it was affecting you…"

"Why was it affecting you, Emmy-chan?" Sanji asked as he lit a cigarette and leaned up against a post, "I thought the bonds should've worked or at least your headband."

"I've been trying to sleep without the headband on…" Emmy admitted, "And...and as for the bonds, they still work it's just Vivi-sama...She had oppressed so much of her emotions that I think it overwhelmed whatever you guys were feeling, especially when you guys were asleep."

"I'm really sorry," Vivi sighed.

"You're not the only one here who has tried not to show how she truly felt, as not to burden or endanger others," Emmy said and gave a knowing smile to the navigator.

"Idiot. Don't focus on the prude. Let's deal with Crocodile and Baroque works and then you can apologize with some money," Nami said as she gave Vivi a light smack on the back.

"Oy! Nami!" Zoro barked.

"She doesn't need to apologize anymore," Emmy rushed in, "I accept it! Okay, Vivi-sama?"

Vivi nodded and smiled weakly. "Okay."

"I need to take a leak," Chopper announced suddenly, "I'll be right back!"

"Don't wander too far off," Emmy warned.

"I won't!" Chopper shouted as he sprinted off in his walking point.

Zoro chuckled at the reindeer's speed. "Wow. I guess he really needed to go."

"As do we, unfortunately," Sanji sighed as he pointed over his shoulder to what was now an all too familiar sight off in the distance.

"Run, guys! The Navy is here! THE NAVY!" Luffy screamed with Usopp at his side, barrels of water in their arms, and a horde of marines at their tail.

"No way!" Nami moaned, "Why does he always run  _towards_  us?!"

"We gotta go!" Zoro shouted.

Vivi gasped. "But what about Tony-kun?"

"Leave him. He'll manage," Zoro said.

Emmy quickly untied Lashes from his post and she rubbed his head. "You can stay here if you want, Lashes-kun. The Navy isn't after you but you're also free to go. Thank you for all your help!"

The camel grinned and gave Emmy a wink. Emmy giggled and she gave him one last pat. "Take care of yourself!"

"Stop petting him and let's go, Emmy!" Zoro shouted as he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her forward just as Luffy was about only a few feet away from them.

"Hey guys! The Navy's here!" he cried.

" _You're_  the one bringing them here!" Sanji seethed as he yelled over his shoulders towards the captain.

"Catch'em for sure this time!" one of the marines shouted.

As they ran through the streets, Emmy could feel eyes staring at them from all directions. The way Zoro's grip tightened on her indicated that he felt it too. "We're making too big of a spectacle," he growled, "Baroque Works is sure to spot us if they haven't already."

"EEP! We're doomed!" Usopp cried.

"Then it's decided!" Luffy shouted, taking a more cheerful approach, "Let's go straight to where Crocodile is! Right, Vivi?!"

Vivi sucked in a breath. "Yes! Let's go! See that casino with the alligator at the very top? That's the casino Crocodile runs. Raindinners."

"There, huh?" Luffy said with a smirk, "That's where we're going?"

"We should split up then," Emmy suggested when she spotted a fork in the road, "And all meet up at the destination."

"Agreed!" Zoro shouted.

Luffy leapt up just as the got to the fork in the road and jumped on top of an awning in a nearby building. "Yosh! See you guys later then. Let's meet at the alligator house!" he shouted and then bounced up towards the roof.

"Yosh!" his friends replied as they split up and ran in opposite directions. Zoro, Emmy, and Vivi went one way while Nami, Sanji, and Usopp went the other.


	58. I Am Not Wasting Any More Time

"Get away from her!" Emmy shouted as her cards went shooting across the plaza.

_Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!_

A handful of the Baroque Work Millions clutched their bloodied shoulder and fell to their knees. The Millions had identified the pirates and were closing in. Zoro had no choice but to stay behind to fight them off for Emmy and Vivi to run ahead. However, as soon as the girls rounded the corner, another group of Millions were waiting for them.

Emmy leapt up and jumped off of a kneeling Millions' backs to tackle another Millions, who was trying to attack the princess from behind. She hit the ground hard and skidded across the stone pavement.

"Ah! Miss Maid!" Vivi gasped.

"I'm okay!" Emmy said as she scrambled to her feet and stood back to back with the princess. Emmy couldn't help but giggle, "I once saw Luffy do that...Never thought I could do it too."

"We can't afford to waste time in a place like this," Vivi said. She had her Peacock Slashers out and they spun violently at her sides.

"Agreed," Emmy nodded.

"Ha. I'd expect this much from a Frontier Agent," one of the Millions said as he pointed a gun right at Vivi's face while another Millions pointed one right at Emmy, "You fought well...Too bad you didn't fight well enough. Now come. The boss is waiting."

Emmy blinked. "Wait what? You're not going to kill us?"

"Her? No. The boss wants Princess Vivi alive. You? Not so much," the Millions facing her sneered.

"Vivi-sama...If that's the case, go with them then," Emmy whispered.

"WHAT?! We're supposed to meet Luffy-san and them at Raindinners-"

"Where Crocodile is, right?" Emmy hissed, "So if they are taking you to Crocodile, then just go with them!"

"But what about you?"

"Don't worry about me...Just-"

_Bratatta. Bratatta. Bratatta. Bratatta._

"AH!" Emmy and Vivi screamed as rapid machine gun fire came striking down from the sky. They clutched their heads and knelt down while the men around them were placated.

Emmy looked up at the sky once the bullets stopped for just a moment. A large falcon was barrelling right down at them.

"Raise your arms!" Vivi exclaimed with relief.

"What?!"

"Just grab on!" Vivi shouted just as the falcon plateaued and swooped within arms reach of them.

Without another thought, Emmy reached up and grabbed onto the falcon's neck as Vivi did the same. They were both swept up and carried to safely to a rooftop nearby.

"Pell! You came for me!" Vivi exclaimed as the falcon changed into a man with a painted white face and purple streaks under his eyes. He wore a long white robe with a dark four star motif printed all along it. His hat had the same pattern as his clothes and the fabric draped down on either side of his head.

"It's good to see you again, Vivi-sama," he said and then gave a nod to Emmy, "And you must be one of the people who she wrote about in her letter. Thank you for coming to Vivi-sama's aid in our time of need."

"So you got my letter," Vivi breathed, "That means Carue made it to Alubarna safely. Thank goodness."

"Both the king and I read your letter," he replied.

"How is my father?" Vivi asked.

"He's doing well. Thanks to you and Igaram-sama, we know we're fighting against now," he said and then looked back over the edge of the roof, "Please excuse me for a moment."

He crossed his arms. "The Bird-Bird Fruit, Model Falcon!" He switched back into his falcon form and flew back down.

"Who is he, Vivi-sama?" Emmy asked with a tilt of her head.

"That is Pell. The strongest warrior in Alabasta. He's one of the head guards for my father," Vivi answered as they marveled at how he was able to take them down in just one swoop, "With his help, we can get to Raindinners faster now!"

"Aren't you getting ahead of yourself?"

Vivi and Emmy jumped to their feet and spun around to face the amused female voice.

"Miss All Sunday?" Emmy gasped as she stood in front of Vivi with her arm out protectively. Her gesture made her audience laugh.

"My, how things have changed since we first met," Miss All Sunday mused, "Have you taken a liking to the princess now?"

"We're friends," Emmy replied slowly. Without her headband off, it was impossible to read Miss All Sunday's mood and motive. Was she here to harm or help? Emmy couldn't tell.

"Vivi-sama, I take it these are the ones threatening our homeland?" Pell asked.

"I'd like to invite the princess to our mansion," Miss All Sunday said and she extended her hand out towards the princess, "What does her two protectors say to that?"

"Out of the question!" Pell answered without hesitation.

MIss All Sunday raised an eyebrow and smiled at Emmy, who was finding a harder time to answer. Not because she didn't know what to say but because the person behind her, the one who was emotionally suppressed just a day ago, was brimming with fury.

"Vivi-sama," Emmy whispered worriedly, "Please calm down and think about it rationally. She's-"

"DON'T SCREW WITH US!" Vivi screamed, shoving Emmy out of the way. She lunged right at MIss All Sunday with her Peacock Slasher at the ready.

_Thwack!_

Miss All Sunday smoothly caught her by the wrist and the Peacock Slasher dangled limply off Vivi's pinky finger. "What uncouth words from a princess," she tsked.

"How dare you kill Igaram!" Vivi spat.

"Igaram?" Miss All Sunday asked with a tilt of her head, "Oh, you mean Mr. 8."

"Don't tell me you killed Igaram-sama!" Pell shouted.

Miss All Sunday sighed. "And how is that different from you gunning down our men just now? It's silly. Why is his life worth more than those men's?"

Emmy blinked and then shook her head. Somehow Miss All Sunday's point struck a chord in Emmy but she knew Miss All Sunday was the enemy. After all, she was working with Crocodile and she killed her friend's friend...So that must make her the bad guy. Right?

"AH!"

Before Emmy could think about it any further, all doubts were wiped away completely when Miss All Sunday landed a punch right through Vivi's stomach with her fist sticking out of the princess' back.

"VIVI-SAMA!" Pell and Emmy screamed.

"Damn you!" Pell yelled as he charged forward.

"Feel Feel Punch!" Emmy shouted, pushing her headband off and socking Miss All Sunday right in the gut.

"Oof!" Miss All Sunday released Vivi and Emmy slid over just in time to catch her from banging her head on the ground.

"Eh? No blood?" Emmy whispered when she felt Vivi's sides.

"Tres Fleurs," Miss All Sunday said and three arms sprouted out from Pell's body. Two of them grabbed each other and closed his wings while the other held his sword firmly in it's hilt. The arms on his back stunted him from flying any further and he crash landed against the chimney of the roof.

"Pell!" Vivi coughed.

"What an interesting move, little pirate," Miss All Sunday mused to Emmy, "I must've really hit a nerve with you. Did that look like I killed her?"

"What did you do?" Emmy asked out of genuine curiosity. She was completely bewildered by this woman.

"I was only merely teasing," Miss All Sunday said.

"What kind of Devil Fruit powers do you have?!" Pell demanded.

Miss All Sunday placed a hand on her hip and then another and another and another. "I partook of the Flower-Flower Fruit. The power to make body parts bloom into flowers. This is my ability. There is no escape from my body which can bloom anywhere."

"Escape? Nonsense! I'm going to avenge Igaram-sama right now," Pell seethed as he got to his feet and drew his sword in his human form.

"I'd love to play more but I don't have time. Sorry," Miss All Sunday said with a smile.

"Time?" Emmy repeated and snapped to attention.  _Yes! We don't have time. We need to get to Luffy...To Crocodile!_

"That's all right! This won't take that long!" Pell shouted and ran forward with his sword gleaming in the air.

"Seis Fleur!"

"Feel Feel Repose!"

"MISS MAID?!" Vivi screamed just as Pell fell into a deep sleep while six arms disappeared from his back in a flurry of petals. Emmy stood over the sleeping guardian and ignored the accusing eyes of the princess to stare into the dark blue ones of the other Devil Fruit user.

"We'll go with you to Crocodile," Emmy stated, "We won't put up a fight."

"What did you do?!" Vivi gasped as she ran over to Pell, who was starting to snore.

Miss All Sunday crossed her arms over her chest and smiled. "She did something smart."

She leaned down and picked up Emmy's headband that had fallen at her feet when Emmy had tore it off to get to Pell in time. She balanced it at the end of her fingertip and gradually moved it in front of the first mate. "This belongs to you, I believe."

Emmy nodded and placed it back on her head. Each completed a gesture of a temporary peace.

"Miss Maid! Pell-" Vivi started to say.

"Was about to have his back broken in half," Miss All Sunday finished, "But she stepped in before I had a chance to complete it. You should thank your friend for saving his life."

Emmy turned and she looked at the princess. "She'll take us directly to Crocodile. Isn't that the whole point of us coming here? Both of you have said...we can't waste any more time."

Miss All Sunday nodded in approval. "That's right. Our boss and your friends are waiting...inside a prison cell at Raindinners."

Emmy and Vivi's eyes widened. "Cell?!"

* * *

Miss All Sunday escorted them off the roof, through the city, and straight into the casino. Emmy winced at the hard sounds of coins jingling and slot machines whirring. Everything on the casino floor was an overabundance. There were too many people. Too much money. Too much food. Too much champagne. Too much opulence. Emmy's stomach turned and she squeezed her hands together in front of her.

"Do you not like it, little pirate?" Miss All Sunday mused.

"I find it revolting," Emmy admitted quietly.

"How...refreshing," Miss All Sunday said as she led them through large double doors with the letters VIP at the top. It was much quieter as soon as they closed the doors behind them and Emmy breathed a sigh of relief. They were in a long white corridor with paintings hanging over the walls. At the end of the corridor, it split into two other hallways, leading to opposite sides. One was labelled VIP and one was labelled pirates.

Miss All Sunday turned towards the VIP way but she and Vivi stopped when they realized Emmy was still standing in front of the sign.

"Shouldn't I go this way?" Emmy asked as she pointed towards the other hallway, "I'm...I'm a pirate not a VIP."

Miss All Sunday chuckled. "Today you are both so why don't you come this way?"

"...Okay," Emmy said after some thought and walked a bit faster to catch up to them.

They kept walking until they faced another set of doors. This one was painted in the color of sand. Miss All Sunday pushed the doors open and then waited for Vivi and Emmy to step through.

They found themselves at the top of a large marble staircase with golden chandeliers adorning the ceiling. At the bottom of the staircase was a long banquet table with a man sitting on one end all by himself. The table was filled with food with metal cloches covering them to keep them warm.

"CROCODILE!" Vivi called out as soon as she spotted the man at the table. He was a tall man, given how high he was even when sitting down in a lavish wingback chair. His skin was pale and his nape-length black hair was slicked back in a oily sheen. A long stitched scar stretched across the bridge of his nose that stretches and instead of a hand, he had a large hook attached to his left arm. He wore an orange and black-striped vest over a peach shirt with a long, thick, dark pelted fur coat draped over his broad shoulders.

"Vivi! Emmy!" Luffy, Usopp, and Nami shouted.

The sight of this fancy banquet caused bile to rise up Emmy's throat and then it was almost too hard not to vomit when she saw the large prison cell situated right behind the banquet table.  _Banquet...Nobles...Cell...Captivity! I can't...I can't do this. I can't...I can't..._

"EMMY!" Luffy shouted and startling Emmy enough to pull her out of her panic.

As soon as her eyes rested on him, he grinned. "I'm right here."

Emmy blinked back her tears and she nodded at him. Her hands moved up to touch Ace's string of beads.  _I'm fine...I'm fine. I have my brothers. I have Gramps. I'm fine._

"Welcome, Vivi! Princess of Alabasta. Or should I call you Miss Wednesday? I'm impressed you managed to evade our assassins and have come this far!" Crocodile called out in a voice that sent chills down Emmy's back, "I see you brought a handmaiden with you. Hehehehe."

Emmy's face turned pale.  _That laugh! He was in those sandstorms. He was there! I heard him! It was him. It was him!_

"I would go as far as it takes!" Vivi shouted, "Because I want you to die, Mr. 0!"

She whipped out her Peacock Slashers and came running forward ready to attack.

"Wait! Vivi! Emmy! Let us out first!" Luffy shouted.

Emmy started to run down the stairs as well but was suddenly grabbed and held back by four of Miss All Sunday's arms.

"No, no," Miss All Sunday said as she pinned Emmy's arms to her sides and her legs together, "You are only here as a witness. Not a participant…"

"EEK! ARMS JUST GREW OUT OF EMMY!" Usopp shrieked.

"Let her go or else I'll kick your ass!" Luffy shouted.

"He means it! We just saw him punch a woman yesterday!" Usopp yelled, "He's CRRAAAZY!"

"Yeah but that was Vivi," Luffy said with confusion.

"SHH! She doesn't need to know that!" Nami and Usopp hissed back.

"If you hadn't come to this country, Alabasta would've remained peaceful!" Vivi screamed as she leapt down the last few steps and threw her Peacock Slasher outwards, "Peacock String Slasher."

The sharp point of her weapon sliced right through Crocodile's head and exploded into a firework of sand. Vivi leapt and landed right on the table, sending plates and metal lids flying every which way.

"Whoa," Luffy, Usopp, and Nami breathed.

"Did she kill him?" Emmy asked.

"No," Miss All Sunday stated bluntly.

Crocodile's entire body disintegrated into sand and then it swept up and over the princess.

"As a citizen of this country, you of all people should know that I have the power of the Sand-Sand Fruit," Crocodile said as his sand reformed into his body directly behind the princess. He grabbed her across the face and whispered into her ear, "Would you like to become a mummy?"

"A-A-A sand person?" Usopp stammered.

"Oy! You! Get away from Vivi and I'm going to kick your ass!" Luffy threatened.

"Don't you mean 'or'?!" Nami cried incredulously.

Crocodile chuckled and released her as he motioned for Miss All Sunday to bring Emmy down. He pulled back a chair for Vivi to sit in and then took his original seat, opposite of her. "I must say, you have perfect timing. Just in time for the party. Wouldn't you agree, Miss All Sunday?"

"Yes," Miss All Sunday said as she led Emmy down the last few steps and then stood her next to Vivi's chair. She pulled out a rope and tied Vivi's hands together behind her and then bound her feet as well. Finally, she took out a pocket watch and checked the time, "It just turned noon. Operation Utopia is beginning."

"Operation Utopia?" the pirates repeated.

"Hehehehehe. HAHAHAHAHA!" Crocodile threw his head back and gave a full bellied laugh and then he smirked at the princess. "It will be this pathetic little kingdom that dies, Miss Wednesday. I'm going to wipe Alabasta from the face of this earth. All people, big and small will be sucked into an eternal darkness as they writhe in pain. Let Operation Utopia commence!"

_Bang!_

VIvi slammed her fist against the table. "Just what exactly are planning to do to Alabasta?!"

Crocodile sniffed. "Would you like to know the type of people I look down on most of all? Hypocrites who treasure the so-called 'happiness of the people'."

"You intend to kill my father?" Vivi gasped.

"Please. I have no intention of doing so," Crocodile scoffed, "There's no point in me killing him. I'm going to let Cobra taste humiliation far crueler than death."

"Crueler than death?" Emmy asked.

"Just what is Operation Utopia? I demand to know!" Vivi yelled.

"Now, now. Do you realize where you stand in this situation?" Crocodile sighed, "But very well. Since the operation is already in motion, I'll tell you about my plan to end this country."

He got himself much more comfortable in his seat and rubbed the top of his hook with his remaining hand. "I know you've been acquainted with Mr. 2 and are aware of his abilities...As we speak he's in Nanohana with a group of Millions, posing as royal soldiers, and he, himself, has the appearance of Cobra."

Vivi gasped, "Why?!"

Crocodile grinned. "He is going to admit and take the blame for the Dance Powder incident, creating an uproar amongst the few left who still believe in the king's innocence."

Vivi's face turned pale. "N-No...That can't be... NO!"

Crocodile laughed. "But I'm not even done yet. Mr. 1 and Miss Doublefinger has taken over a ship that is carrying a massive amount of weapons. I would say in about...three minutes, they will be crashing it right through the center of Nanoha. Do you know what is at the center of town, Miss Wednesday?"

Vivi's eyes widened. "The water supply!"

Crocodile nodded in approval, "Yes. With this happening, the rebel forces gain strength as well as ammunition. I'm shifting the war in favor of the rebels and pushing more citizens towards the front lines. More blood will be shed!"

"My father will never allow this! He will put a stop to it. As soon as he shows his face in Alaburna, the citizens will know the the king at Nanohana is an imposter!" Vivi shouted.

"He could...if anyone can actually find him," Crocodile laughed.

"What?!" Vivi gasped, "What did you do to him?! WHERE IS MY FATHER?!"

"Didn't I already say I wasn't going to kill him? What are you getting all worked up for?" Crocodile taunted, "The operation you once participated in has now blossomed. If you listen closely, you could probably hear the howls of dying Alabasta's. They're all howling the same thing. 'Protect Alabasta. Protect Alabasta. Protect Alabasta!'"

"STOP IT!" Vivi screamed at the top of her lungs, "How can you be so cruel?!"

"Isn't it so heart wrenching?" Crocodile laughed, "Love for the kingdom will be what destroys the kingdom."

"AHHHHH!" Luffy roared from the cell. He grabbed the bars and tried to squeeze himself through it, only to fall limply to his knees while still holding onto the metal.

"Don't tell me...Sea Prism Stone?" Emmy gasped.

"Is he stupid? How many times do we have to tell him that won't work?"

Emmy blinked and her eyes widened when she realized the smoky marine was sitting in the cell along with the pirates. Zoro, lounging in the corner this whole time, adjusted his swords. "Yes, he is stupid...but that's also why he's our captain."

"Do you have any idea why I'd go to such lengths to attain this country?" Crocodile asked Vivi.

"As if I'd understand anything inside your rotten head," Vivi spat and then threw her bodies sideways, slamming her and the chair to the ground.

"VIVI-SAMA!" Emmy gasped but could do nothing but struggle against Miss All Sunday's still present limbs.

"If...If I can just get to Alubarna...If I can get there before the rebel army...I might be able to stop them! I absolutely refuse to let you have your way!" Vivi screamed as she struggled against her binds.

To add insult to an already humiliating state, Crocodile stepped right over the flailing princess to get to the stairs. "What a coincidence," he said without looking back, "We're heading to Alubarna too. You're welcome to join us...Or...would you rather save these people?"

He turned around and flashed a key in front of his face.

"The key to this cell?! Give it here!" Luffy demanded.

Crocodile grinned and stomped his feet. A trap door opened near the banquet table and he tossed the key right through it. It landed with a plop into a water filled moat and within a seconds, a gigantic alligator with a banana shaped growth on it's head came swimming up to it and gobbled it up.

"That is the den of bananagators," Crocodile explained as Miss All Sunday untied Vivi's ropes.

"Go! Vivi! Go get the key!" Luffy exclaimed, having no visuals of what was going on through the trapdoor.

"I can't! It got swallowed by a bananagator!"

"Oh! Emmy! Go down there and tame it! Make it spit it out!" Usopp screamed.

"But..But it's filled with water!" Emmy protested, "I can't!"

"Oh...Devil Fruit user…?" Crocodile said as he eyed Emmy up and down and then looked at Miss All Sunday.

"Feel-Feel Fruit user," Miss All Sunday said, "She's an empath. That's all. She can manipulate emotions. Parlor tricks, really. Nothing offensive. Just avoid her touch."

Crocodile nodded while Emmy blinked.

_Did Miss All Sunday just lie for me? I punched her with my powers...She knows I do have some attacks...Miss All Sunday...Whose side are you on?_


	59. I am Getting You Out

"So what's it going to be, princess? One million innocent citizens or a mere five pirates with no future?" Crocodile said from the doorway, "Only one choice can be saved though the odds are low for both. Your feelings are your ante, Miss Wednesday. Do you like gambling?

Vivi's glare intensified but she stayed frozen to her spot, unable to decide what her next steps should be.

"Stop taunting her!" Emmy shouted as she directed her own angered gaze at the Warlord, "The result of the gamble will be in our favor! Winner takes all! My nakama will be fine and so will Alabasta!"

That earned her an amused grin from Crocodile. "Oh? What makes you so sure of that?"

"Because I believe Toto-Ojisan! Yuba...and all of Alabasta….It's not going to get beaten by some lousy sand and it certainly won't get beaten by you! If love is what is in this kingdom...if people are like Toto-Ojisan, who love and cherish this land...then this kingdom can be saved," Emmy said, "Toto-Ojisan has faith and so do I!"

"Enough!"

Crocodile's hook shot out of his arm with a burst of sand pushing it forward. Miss All Sunday's arms disappeared in a second. Crocodile hooked Emmy by the waist and sent her flying up towards the ceiling, crashing hard against stone and knocking down a chandelier before he released her and she flopped to the ground like a rag doll. Her headband rolled across the floor and stopped right in front of the prison cell with a soft clank.

The pirates and princess screamed in horror. "EMMY!"

"Then you are a fool just like everyone else in this country," Crocodile chided, "The rebels, the army, the-"

"With all due respect…" Emmy breathed as she pushed herself up so her upper body were off the floor. Blood dripped down the side of her head and onto the white marble, "You are the only fool I see...Haven't you learned by now? You can't beat Toto-Ojisan's spirit. No matter how many sandstorms you throw at Toto-ojisan, he'll keep on digging. The faith and hope in this country will not be blown away by your stupid tricks!"

"Sandstorms?" Luffy asked while Vivi gasped and covered her face with her hands.

"You mean he-"

"Hehehe," Crocodile laughed. He held out his hand a small whirling sandstorm began to swirl right at the center of his palm, "So you figured it out?"

"I recognized your laugh…" Emmy said as she sat on her knees. The anger and fury from both Vivi and Luffy were making a strong play against her bonds. She closed her eyes to try to focus herself and remain in control, "It was in the winds...There in Yuba...and in Erumalu…Those sandstorms...It was you. It was all you."

"I'm going to kill you!" Vivi cried. She clenched her fists in her lap as did Emmy out of sheer reaction to the princess' rage, "Crocodile!"

"If you don't like my sand...then I'll arrange for something else," Crocodile said as he tapped his foot again and two more trapdoors opened up. Water started to flood up into the room and it flowed past Emmy, washing away the drops of blood.

"Emmy! Get away from the water!" Zoro shouted.

"What about us?! The whole room's going to be flooded if we don't do something!" Usopp screeched, "Vivi! Help! Do something!"

"Stop freaking out," Zoro huffed.

"How can I not?!" the sniper wailed.

"Vivi! Emmy! Get us out of here!" Luffy shouted.

"Luffy-san…" Vivi whimpered.

"Ha. Finally starting to beg for your life, Straw Hat Luffy?" Crocodile asked, "I guess it's only natural. Everyone is afraid of dying."

Luffy ground his teeth and he clenched his fists. "I'm not going to die...because I'm going to kick your ass!"

Crocodile raised an eyebrow. "Don't flatter yourself...Small fry."

Emmy's head snapped up and a surge of anger burst through her. She knew this was not something any of her bonds could control because it was coming all from within. "Don't look down on Luffy! You're the small fry!" she thundered, "So what if you're a Warlord? Who cares?!"

"Eeep! I care.  _I care_ , Emmy!" Usopp hissed from the cage.

"Luffy is...Luffy is...LUFFY IS GOING TO BE THE KING OF PIRATES!" Emmy yelled, "You are nothing but a small time criminal and Luffy is going to kick your ass straight to hell where you belong!"

Her words rang through the marble room and travelled right past Crocodile through the corridor. They could hear the echo very clearly as everyone was caught in a tense silence with only the rubber boy grinning like a madman. Then the moment was broken by a simple finger snap from the Warlord.

A large bananagator came crawling out of a trapdoor. It was even bigger than the prison cell that held Emmy's nakama. It licked it's lips when it spotted Emmy and Vivi.

"Well, this is your chance to abandon them, Miss Wednesday," Crocodile called out and then he started to walk away, "If you wish to stop the rebellion, that is. Hehehehe."

The ground shook with every step the bananagator took towards the girls. It didn't help that Vivi was trembling already herself. "I...It...It's so big."

"Alright! Beat it! Emmy!" Luffy cried.

"Yeah! Go, Emmy! Knock it out! But avoid it's head. Those jaws are massive! Ah! And his tail looks big too! And his claws are sharp so don't get near those either!" Usopp instructed.

Nami rolled her eyes. "What the hell does that leave her with then?!" Then she shrieked when her eyes caught what was just outside the windows that looked right into the moat that surrounded the casino, "Kyaaaa! Look! There's a whole line of bananagators waiting for their turn to come in through that door! Even if Emmy manages to beat this one, how the hell is she going to get through all the rest, especially when the water comes in?!"

Zoro gazed out the window lazily at the string of carnivorous reptiles. "Tch. They're treating us like feeding time at the zoo."

"We're dead. We're so dead!" Usopp wailed, "Hurry! Emmy! I don't want to die!"

"Vivi-sama, go!" Emmy said as she stood in between Vivi and the bananagator, "I can free the others."

"No, I'm...I'm staying!" Vivi insisted and then eyed the rising water level. The whole floor was covered in water now and it was about 2 inches deep, "And...you'll need the help when the water gets too high."

"Vivi-sama! What about your father and the rebel-" Emmy protested and then she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to look at Vivi's timidly smiling face.

"Winner takes all, right? We'll save them both," Vivi said.

Emmy shared a brief smile with her before her eyes widened and she quickly tackled Vivi to the side just as the bananagator's jaws came clamping down. It's reach was so great and it's jaws so powerful that it tore off a chunk of the marble staircase.

"Ah! It's fast!" Usopp shrieked.

"Oy, Emmy! What are you doing taking your eyes off of the opponent?!" Zoro lectured, "Have you forgotten? Lesson #4! Never take-"

"Never take your eyes away from the enemy until the fight is over," Emmy finished as she got up to her feet and shook the water off of her hands. She straightened her stance and locked eyes with the bananagator, "Okay, Bananagator-san...Let's fight."

_Thwack!_

The bananagator's tail came swinging right at Emmy, who ducked out of the way, but it hit right into the princess' side. She was flung straight across the room and landed hard on her back.

"Vivi!" Luffy, Nami, and Usopp shrieked but then the navigator re-directed her horror at the swordsman, who was chuckling to himself.

"Are you happy that Vivi is hurt?!" Nami demanded.

"Good! Emmy! Very good!" Zoro called out, "Lesson #27. In a fight, you either choose to protect or…"

"Choose to win," Emmy finished again. Her eyes were glued to the bananagator. They didn't leave even for a second when the princess had let out a scream. Emmy's face was solemn and her focus was right where it needed to be - looking for an opening. The swordsman was very pleased at how well Emmy was applying his lessons.

Fortunately, the bananagator did not have the same mentality as the first mate and he turned his attention to the easier prey, Vivi. As soon as he turned his ahead away from Emmy, she sprang into action and placed her palm on his side.

"Feel Feel Pacify!" Her white heart dissipated into the air against his scales and everyone's breath caught in their chest.

"Did it work?" Usopp asked.

_Chomp!_

"EEEK!" Usopp and Luffy shrieked as they watched Emmy roll out of the way seconds before she could get devoured.

"Why didn't it work?!" Usopp cried.

"Try harder!" Nami guessed, "Maybe it's because his skin is too thick!"

Emmy leapt onto his tail and ran up his back. She flattened both palms against the back of his head. "Feel Feel Pacify!"

A bigger, thicker heart cloud formed and evaporated beneath her hands. Everything stilled beneath her and she let out a breath of relief. She relaxed her shoulders and shot a grin towards the group.

"Yahoo! She did it! She tamed it!" Usopp and Luffy cheered as they linked arms and ran circles around the prison cell, "She-"

_Thwack!_

The crocodile roared and bucked Emmy off. She slammed right against the jagged marble that was once the staircase. She fell down into the rubble, leaving traces of her blood against the rough stone.

"AHHH! EMMY!" Luffy roared. He grabbed the edges of the prison cell and shook it vigorously, "LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME….Let...me out…!"

He sagged against the bars with his fingers still firmly clasped around it. "Let me out…" he moaned as his strength was pulled away.

Zoro scowled and grabbed Luffy by the collar. He yanked the captain away from the Sea Prism Stone with one hand gripping fiercely towards his half-drawn katana. "GET UP, EMMY!" he shouted. His voice wavered ever so slightly, "GET THE HELL UP!"

The bananagator stomped closer to Emmy and opened his jaws.

"EMMY!" the pirates screamed.

_Pururururu. Purururu._

A transponder snail rang out from the hallway. Crocodile and MIss All Sunday were too far down the corridor for anyone to see them but the sound carried through to everyone as if the Baroque Works leader and his right hand woman never left.

"You have a call," Miss All Sunday said.

_Catcha._

"Hello? Hello? Does this thing even work? Can anyone hear me?"

Zoro's ears twitched and an internal battle erupted within him as he struggled to decide if he wanted to deepen his scowl or breathe a sigh of relief over who was on the other line.

"Yes, I can hear you," Miss All Sunday replied, "You're a Millions, yes?"

"Hey, does this thing really work? I've never used a Mini-Transponder Snail before," Sanji asked through the snail.

"Yes...Yes, it's connected through. You can talk just as you are," came another male's voice that was unrecognizable by the swordsman.

"What do you want?" Miss All Sunday asked.

"Hurry and state your business!" Crocodile cut in, "What's going on?"

"Ahhh…" Sanji said and Zoro could hear the smirk in his voice, "I've heard that voice before. Hey...You've called the Damn Restaurant."

A breath was sucked in. "The Damn Restaurant?" Crocodile asked, his words were clipped and terse.

"Heh," Sanji chuckled, "Sounds like you remember me. That's great."

In the cell, Usopp nudged his nakama. "Oy, you all heard that?"

Nami nodded. "'Damn Restaurant'? Could it be?!"

"SAN-!" Luffy shouted but was quickly silenced with the sniper's hand shoved almost entirely in his mouth.

"Wait! Luffy!" Usopp hissed, "The enemy doesn't know about him! Don't give it away! Him and Chopper are still outside!"

"Just who are you?" Crocodile growled.

"Me? I'm...Mr. Prince," Sanji said.

"I see." Crocodile's words had gotten clipped and terse. A part of the swordsman felt for the Warlord. He knew just how aggravating the cook could be, "Where are you?"

"'Fraid I can't say," Sanji replied, "If I did, you'd come get rid of me. Though, setting aside whether or not you  _can_ get rid of me, I'm not so stupid as to give up information so easily. Unlike you, Mr. 0."

"PRINCE! HELP!" Usopp screeched at the top of his lungs, "We've been caught! There's no time!"

"MR. PRINCE!" Luffy joined in, "HELP!"

Sanji laughed. "Sounds like my crew's right by your side. In that case, I'm gonna-"

_Bang!_

The sound of a gunshot silenced Luffy and Usopp's rowdy calls. It was followed by a distinctive moan from the cook.

"Tr-Troublesome bastard," Sanji grunted.

"Hello? Hello?" a new voice came through the line, "Boss? Is that you? What should we do with this strange man?"

"He got caught?!" Usopp wailed.

"Where are you?!" Crocodile demanded, "Tell me!"

"T-The front gate of a casino in Rainbase named Raindinners!" the man reported.

The whole left side of Zoro's face seized. "That useless moron! That bastard better be alive so I can chop him to death when I get out of here!"

 _Catcha_.

"This is good news," Crocodile said and the footsteps continued down the hall, "Let's go to the front gate."

"Is that wise? The Millions still don't know who their boss is," Miss All Sunday advised.

"I'm not going as their boss," Crocodile replied, "What's wrong with Crocodile, the owner of this casino, going out to see what has happened in front of his building?"

_Chomp!_

The sudden gnashing of teeth broke the pirates' concentration. The bananagator had broken off another chunk of the staircase but he still didn't get what it was after. Dangling above him was the first mate as she clung to the edge of the remaining steps by one arm. Her clothes were torn and her hair was wet but there was no sign of blood or injury on her anymore. Her powers had healed her wounds and the water had washed the traces of it away.

"EMMY! What are you doing?!" Luffy cried.

"Th-there's still time before this room fills up with water!" Emmy huffed as she clung to the sides, "Mr...Mr Prince is not dead. His bond is still there. I can get him and Chopper here to help!"

_Bam!_

Crocodile's flying hook knocked Emmy's hand away from the edge and she went flying down, straight into the open jaws of the bananagator.

_Chomp!_

The whole room was filled with a stunned silence that was then broken by a loud crash as the entire prison cell bounced in the air and then dented the floor when it landed heavily back down. "EMMMMMMYYYYY!" Luffy roared before collapsing against the cell bars again, "EMMmmmmmy…Emmy…"

"Stop touching the bars," Zoro snapped at the captain but couldn't physically bring himself to pull Luffy back again. The swordsman's own arms were numb at his sides and his feet were frozen to the ground.

"No...No way…" Nami whispered as she clamped her hands over her mouth.

"Don't worry," Crocodile said as he went back on his way, "You'll be joining her soon. I'll even drag back your friend, the cheeky Mr. Prince, so that you can all die together."

He left for sure this time as the doors closed behind him and there were no more sounds of footsteps or talking.

"DAMN IT!" Luffy screamed as he took his anger out on the floor. He started pummeling it over and over again until his skin broke and his knuckles bled. The fact that he was only making slight dents to the floor reinforced by Sea Prism Stone only fueled his intensity, "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn-"

_Splash!_

Suddenly, the bananagator's legs stretched out and he flopped on his belly into the shallow puddle of water water. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he opened up his jaws to reveal a fully intact, and very much alive, first mate kneeling on his tongue with her palms pressed up against the coarse, pink flesh.

"EMMY!" Usopp and Nami cried with relief. The navigator hurriedly pulled the captain up to his feet and grabbed his chin so he could look directly at what they were seeing.

"Luffy! Look!"

The bananagator rolled onto it's back, sending both his tongue and it's passenger falling out of the side of his mouth. Emmy stood up and she smoothed her hands over the front of her shirt as she gave a small shrug in Zoro's direction. "New lesson? Lesson #248: If the skin is too tough, maybe try the inside…?"

"Oy…" Zoro said with a strangled breath, "Don't...don't go making up lessons on your own."

Emmy clasped her hands behind her and she giggled. "Sorry." Then she stiffened when she saw the captain. "Luffy! Why are your hands hurt?! What happened?!"

Then her own hand went right to her heart and she hunched over, like someone had punched her in the gut. "Oof...Luffy...Did...Did I scare you? I'm sorry...I couldn't feel my bonds when I was inside Bananagator-san, for some reason."

"Em...Emmy…" was all he could reply back. He sagged against Nami. "Thank goodness."

The princess came running to the first mate and did what the rest of the pirates couldn't but wanted to do. She enveloped her into a tight hug. "You're okay. I'm so glad. I'm so glad!"

"Oy! No time to celebrate! There's another one coming!" Usopp shrieked as he saw the nose of one poking up from the trapdoor.

"Vivi-sama, go up!" Emmy said as she ran towards the broken stairs and crouched down to give the princess a boost, "Now that I know how to handle them, I can deal with them for the time being. You go get Sanji and Chopper!"

"Okay," Vivi said as the first mate hoisted her up towards the stairs.

"And hurry! The water is coming in faster!" Nami warned.

"Got it!" Vivi cried as she ran up the stairs and out of the room.

"Okay…" Emmy clapped her hands clean and then put her hand on her hips. The bananagator looked at her from upside and he flailed his legs in the air. Emmy giggled as she climbed onto his belly. In comparison to his back, it was softer but not by much. She gave it a little rub and the bananagator's stubby legs kicked around even more, "Now...Bananagator-san...Did you eat the key?"

The bananagator wriggled underneath her and she slid off just as another bananagator burst through the trapdoor. Immediately, the bananagator Emmy had tamed got to his feet and he snarled at the newcomer.

_Crunch! Crunch! Crunch! Whooosh!_

The pressure of the water outside cracked the windows and water surged in from the walls. The room flooded at an exponential rate and Emmy hurriedly climbed onto the Bananagator-san's back. She sat at it's head and held onto the banana-shaped top. She looked over and smiled. "Luffy! I'll get you out. Leave it to me, okay?"

"Ah." Luffy tipped his hat over his eyes and shielded his face. "Okay."


	60. I am Not Going Anywhere

Sanji stood at the top of the stairs. He casually lit a cigarette and brought it up to his lips. He savored the way the paper felt when moistened and then he inhaled.

"Tell me again, Vivi-chan," he said and then gazed down on the flooding room. The light from the chandeliers gleamed against the sunglasses he had swiped from a swanky but heavily intoxicated gambler while out in the casino lobby, "How exactly is the little lady in danger again?"

"I-I swear it was not like this when I left," Vivi said sheepishly as the first mate waved up at them while riding on Bananagator-san. He was floating in the middle of a row of his brethren. There were two on either side of him and they were all sleeping in a neat row with their bellies up. Their legs stuck up in the air and they were letting out low rumbling groans, "The situation was a lot more severe just a few minutes ago…"

"Sanji! Be careful! More are coming!" Emmy shouted up to them when she spotted two more bananagators swimming up to the trapdoor.

Sanji sucked in another mouthful of smoke and then somersaulted off the stairs. He landed right behind Emmy on the bananagator's back. "I gather none of these damn bananas have the key?"

Emmy shook her head. "All of them feel really hungry to me so I don't think they've eaten anything recently."

"SANJI! GET US OUT!" Usopp and Nami screamed from the cage while trying to keep Luffy upright. The water had risen to their thighs and the devil fruit user was having a hard time standing.

"Yes, Nami-swan!" Sanji twirled on the tips of his feet and bowed with a flourish towards the cage, "Your prince has come to save you-"

"Shut up and get the key already!" Zoro barked.

Sanji glared at the swordsman. "The banana with the key isn't even here yet so just be a little more patient, you jerk!"

Just then the two bananagators Emmy spotted came crawling through the trapdoor. Their eyes went straight to Emmy and Sanji. They opened up their jaws and filled the room with a blood thirsty roar.

_Roooooaaaarrrrrr!_

"That one...on the left," Smoker said sullenly as he stood stoically with his arms crossed.

"Eh? You can tell?" Luffy asked.

Smoker didn't even bother looking over at the rubber boy. "Are your ears just there for show? His growl is the same as the one that ate the key, isn't it?"

Luffy and Usopp's jaws dropped and they tuned their ears towards the menacing newcomers. Then their jaws closed and their shoulders slumped.

"I can't tell," Luffy said with a frown.

"I...I don't know about his growl," Emmy said with full concentration on the animal. She put a hand to her own stomach and tilted her head to the side, "But his...stomach feels stranger than the others. Not quite full or hungry but...strange...Like...when Luffy eats bad meat but keeps eating anyways..."

"That's all I need to know," Sanji said. He flicked his cigarette into the water and slid down the side of Bananagator-san, "Bad Manner Kick Course!"

Before Emmy could blink, the cook had somehow ran right up to the fuller bananagator and flung him high into the air with his foot. Then he jumped up, meeting the bananagator in the air, and kicked him hard right in the belly. He wasn't done, though.

As he landed, he drove a hard heel right into the back of the other bananagator. It's tail straightened with a sickening crack and then it collapsed. A tidal wave rippled from the impact and it swept right through the cage, dowsing it's inhabitants while Emmy and the row of heavy bananagators just casually swayed over it.

The fuller bananagator's eyes rolled to the back of his head as his jaw dropped open. A solid white ball came flying out of his mouth and it landed on the water with a plop.

"Anyone, who would even bare his teeth at a lady, gets table manners beaten into them," Sanji lectured.

"Never mind that!" Usopp snapped and pointed at the ball, "The key! That must be the key!"

"But...that doesn't look like a key," Luffy said and he tilted his head to the side.

"Wax...wax ball," a voice croaked from the ball's inside and then it cracked right down the middle. It split apart and the two halves fell to the side, revealing a hollow inside and a man crouched within. He stood up and he raised his shriveled mummy-like arms, "Release!"

"EH?!" the pirates gasped. Their eyes fell on his gaunt frame under the blue and white striped shirt and then their attention lifted up to the 3 shaped squiggle that his hair was tied into.

"Oh! Water! Water! It's a miracle," he rasped. He got on his hands and knees and started to drink the water at his feet.

"Oy! It's him!" Zoro shouted with a grimace.

"Three! It's Three!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Mr. 3! What was he doing in the belly?!" Vivi gasped.

The Baroque Works agent's muscles and body began to fill up with every gulp of water. Soon, aside from bandages wrapped all along his face, he looked just like how they had left him on Little Garden. "I thought I was dead there," he sighed and then he snickered, "That rotten Crocodile. He may have tried to get rid of me, but he didn't try hard enough! The moment I was swallowed, I squeezed out the last of my power to create this Wax-Wax Ball!"

"That's very clever of you," Emmy marvelled.

Mr. 3 looked up at her and his smirk deepened. "I know. It really- AH! What are  _you_  doing here?!" His eyes bugged out and he took three steps back.

"We're looking for the key," Emmy stated.

Mr. 3 blinked. "Key?" he repeated and then he looked down. He bent over and held up something shiny in his hands. "You mean...this one?"

"AHHH! Give it here! Give it here!" Four pairs of arms shot out from the cage and they started to claw in Mr. 3's direction. One pair lost strength almost immediately.

"Oy! Stop touching the cage!" Zoro shouted when he noticed Luffy's position.

"AH! You guys are all here!" Mr. 3 screamed. Then he stiffened and held up the key to his face. He stood there for a moment in solemn silence. Then his smirk spread on his face again. He tightened his fingers around the key and started to wind his arm back.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you…"

Mr. 3 froze with the key ready to be flung out into the distance and he looked up at the first mate. "Eh?"

_Raaaaaaaaaah!_

Bananagator-san roared right into Mr. 3's face and then flashed it's teeth at the agent, who started to sweat.

"Throwing the key away...what a jerk thing to try to pull. Just give it here, you stupid candle," Sanji said as he walked over with his hand out, "Or else Emmy-chan will wake up the other bananas and you become their lunch."

"Wake up?" Mr. 3 gulped and then he looked around him. At first glance he had thought that somehow the pirates had defeated the surrounding gators but now he could hear their rumbling snores and how their bellies expanded and deflated at a steady pace. It didn't take much consideration on his part to forfeit his last bargaining chip.

However, he wasn't one to miss an opportunity. As soon as the key left his hand, he turned on his heels and fled towards the stairs.

"Thank you," Emmy said with a slight bow as Sanji fitted the key into the locked door.

"YAY! We're free! We're free!" Usopp, Nami, and Luffy cheered.

_Click. Click. Click._

Sanji raised his curled eyebrow. "Did Crocodile throw one key or two?"

"Why would he throw two keys?! Stop asking stupid questions and let us out!" Zoro snapped.

"...This isn't the key," Sanji said. His voice had dropped to a whisper and his hand stilled, "Crocodile lied."

"WHAT?!"

Vivi sank to her knees while Emmy's face went pale. Her eyes immediately went to Luffy and as soon as she saw the look on his face, she knew what he was about to say. He opened his mouth but she beat him to the punch.

"I'm not going anywhere," Emmy said firmly, "I'm not going to save myself while you guys are in danger. It's my choice. My decision. Please respect that. We'll either leave together or we'll die together."

Luffy's mouth closed and it took a moment before he could bring himself to nod.

"But how are we supposed to get out without a key?!" Nami wailed, "It's not like we can just make one out of thin air."

"THAT'S IT!" Usopp stuck his hand out of the cage and pointed a finger right at Mr. 3, who had made his way to the top of the stairs, "Couldn't his Wax-Wax power make a key to this cage?!"

Mr. 3 turned around and he placed his hands on his hips. "Ha! Too late now, you idiots! I'm already-"

_Thwack!_

A hard left hook from the princess sent Mr. 3 right up and over the stairs. He splashed down right at Sanji's feet.

"Way to go, Vivi!" Usopp and Nami cheered while Sanji's arms wriggled with delight.

"Ah! Vivi-chan! You are so beautiful when you show strength!"

"HURRY UP AND MAKE THE KEY!" Zoro snapped.

_Click! Clunk! Squeeaaakkk!_

The door creaked open under the newly formed wax key. It didn't take any more to convince Mr. 3 to help them. After all, between the purple bruise that the princess gave his chin and the threat of both Sanji and the bananagators, there didn't need to be any more persuading factors.

"Nicely done, candle man," Sanji said and then slapped a piece of paper right on Mr. 3's chest.

"Eh?"

_Thwack!_

"Ahhhhhh!" Mr. 3 screamed as he was kicked right into the wall.

Sanji dropped his leg and while still holding onto the cage door, gave a deep bow to the freed navigator. "Nami-san, let's get moving. There's little time."

"Yes," Nami said, "We must hurry to Alubarna."

_Thwack! Shing!_

"Ah! Luffy! Zoro! They're not harming anyone!" Emmy started to protest when the captain and swordsman burst out the cage and attacked all the sleeping bananagators in the room.

"DAMN YOU, BANANAS! DAMN YOU, CROCODILE!" Luffy screamed into the air as he let his fists fly.

"Damn it. If only I was able to cut through the cage..." Zoro said through the sword in his mouth.

"Just let them be," Nami sighed and shrugged at the first mate, "You of all people should already know how much pent up frustration they need to let out."

Emmy sighed and conceded but her relaxed state was short lived. The cracks on the windows deepened and then extended right through the walls. The ceiling started to break apart and debris as well as water fell down hard into the room. The ground trembled beneath their feet.

"Ahhh! The walls are crumbling!" Luffy screamed.

"Idiots! You guys went too far and broke the room!" Sanji huffed.

Zoro grabbed the back of the captain's neck and glared up at the first mate. "Hold on to your banana, Emmy!"

Emmy nodded and she splayed out on Bananagator-san's back just as the water crashed over the entire room. Emmy closed her eyes and held onto her breath as much as she could but it was as if the water was pulling away at everything. Her strength, her air, her will, her life. She felt her grip weaken and her whole body float away from Bananagator-san's hide but there wasn't anything she could do. Her world turned dark but it wasn't all because she was drowning. It was also because she was suddenly in Banangator-san's mouth again.

* * *

"Th...thank you, B-Bananagator-san," Emmy coughed as soon as he had opened his jaws and she had rolled out onto land.

"AHHHHHH! A bananagator is loose! Run for your lives!"

Sanji lit a new cigarette and squatted next to his drenched captain. He watched the city square completely empty at the sight of Emmy-chan's new friend. It was a good thing for all parties involved. He doubted the smoky marine guy that Zoro had dragged out of the water wanted people to see him being helped by pirates anyways. However, why the marine guy was even here with them was something Sanji couldn't quite fathom.

"Oy, Zoro...What are you bringing the enemy along for?" he asked.

"Shut up. I didn't want to either," Zoro scowled as he tried to knock the water out of his ears, "But I had no choice."

"Whatever. Let's just hurry on ahead," Sanji said. He walked over to the edge of the moat they had sprung out from and held out both hands to help Nami and Vivi stand. The sniper, who was right in between the two girls, was blatantly ignored, "We've lost quite a bit of time. Vivi-chan, do you think we can still make it?"

"Yes but we have to leave straight away," Vivi said as she got up to her feet and began to wring out the hem of her clothes.

"Nami-san, do you still have the perfume I got you in Nanohana? Do you mind putting it on?"

Nami pulled out the small bottle and gave a generous spritz on her neck. "Like this?" she asked curiously.

"AHHH!" Sanji clasped his hands together and swayed downwind of the navigator, "I'll follow you to the end of the world. Fall in love!"

"Idiot," Zoro sighed.

"Roronoa!"

_Shing! Thwack!_

Smoker's large metal jette was blocked by Zoro's katana and the two weapons clashed just an inch away from the swordsman's face. Zoro held onto his weapon tightly and he glared over his blade but said nothing to the angered marine.

"Why…" Smoker growled, "Why did you save my life?"

Zoro waited a moment before he turned his blade and deflected the jitte away. "I was just following captain's orders," he stated, "You don't have to thank me. It's one of his whims. Pay it no mind."

"Him…?" Smoker asked as both he and the swordsman's gaze went over to the guy in question, who was currently slowly dragging his drenched self towards the first mate.

Emmy felt herself get pulled up to her knees and then her head was pushed into the crook of a wet but very familiar neck. She could feel his heart racing both from her powers and through his shirt. For the first time, Emmy felt something in Luffy she rarely got from him and even though it was very small, it still unsettled her. It was fear.

"L-Luffy? Wh...what's wrong? Is it Crocodile?"

He said nothing but only tightened his grip around her waist and on the back of her head. He lowered his own until his forehead was on her shoulder. "D...Don't…"

It was so quiet that Emmy had no choice but to turn her head so she could hear him better. In doing so, their noses brushes against each other and Emmy's own heart started to race. "Don't what?" she whispered.

"Don't scare me like that again, okay?...I can't...I can't lose another sibling."

Emmy blinked and then a relieved smile crept over her face. She re-buried her head in his neck and she hugged him tightly around the shoulders. "That was a pretty close call with Bananagator-san, huh?," she said, "I'm sorry I scared you but I'm okay...and more importantly, you're okay too. We left together."

"Together…" Luffy repeated. He loosened his grip and lifted his head up. Then Emmy felt him tense up again and then she was pushed behind his back, "Ah! Smokey!"

He raised his fists at the marine. "You want some of this?!" he demanded and began to bounce on his feet like a boxer.

"Just how serious is he?" Smoker asked no one in particular as he puffed on his cigar.

The sounds of feet on cobblestone took Emmy's attention away and she looked behind her. "The marines...they're coming!"

"Eep! Luffy! Don't fight. Let's just get the hell out of here!" Usopp pleaded.

Smoker took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Go."

Luffy's fists lowered and he straightened up his legs. "Eh?"

"This is the only time I'm letting you off," Smoker said, "Next time we meet, consider yourselves dead."

The pirates gaped at him while the first mate stepped out from behind the captain and she gave the marine a polite bow. "Until next time then, Smoker-san. Please take care of yourself."

Zoro chuckled as he walked over and lifted up the first mate to Bananagator-san's head. "Alright, let's go. Marines are coming in."

The rest of their nakama sprung into action. "Which way is Alubarna, Vivi-chan?" Sanji asked as he put two hands together to help give Nami a boost up.

"Over there! Straight to the east," Vivi said as she got the same treatment.

"Yosh," Sanji said. He dropped his hands just as the sniper's foot was about to connect. Usopp lost his balance and slammed his head right against Bananagator-san's hide.

"HEY! Sanji! I want a ride too!"

"Get up yourself."

"Alright, let's go!" Zoro said as the bananagator ran forward with the sniper and cook running right after it.

"Ah! Wait for me! I want to get on too!" Usopp cried.

Zoro looked back and saw that the captain had not moved an inch. "Oy! Luffy! We gotta go!"

"Ah…" Luffy said and took another second to look at the glowering marine. Then his face broke into a big grin, "You know, you're not unlikable. Shishishishishi."

That did not amuse the marine in the slightest. "Just go already!" he thundered and wailed his jitte at the captain, who hurriedly ducked his head and then dashed off.

"Ah! Come on. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go!" Luffy cried as he ran past the swordsman.

"Oy! I'm the one who was rushing you first!" Zoro snapped.

The two quickly caught up with their nakama. Luffy's arms stretched forward and grabbed onto Bananagator-san's banana shaped lump. Luffy pulled himself right onto a seating position in front of it and he kicked his legs high up into the air.

"Alright, guys! Straight to Alubarna!" he commanded.

"Yosh!"


	61. I am Leaving it To You

"Oh dear...Oh dear. Oh dear. Oh dear…" Emmy wrung her hands together as she looked at the diminishing Rainbase from the back of the Bananagator. Luffy was perched at it's head while the rest were riding on the back of a large desert crab. Chopper and Lashes had brought him to transport the crew across the desert. Apparently, the crab was a friend of the camel.

Luffy glanced over at the first mate. "You think we should've brought grabbed snacks before we left too?"

"No…Well...maybe we should have but that's not what I meant..." Emmy said. She hesitantly turned to face her brother and then her hands went up to her head. "I...I left my headband at Raindinners."

Luffy shrugged. "Oh, is that all?"

"What's going on?" Sanji called over, "Emmy-chan, why do you look so sad?"

"I left my headband at Raindinners," Emmy shouted back.

"You what?!" the group gasped.

Nami slapped her hand to her forehead. "Ugh! It was right in front of the cage. We must've lost track of it after the water came in."

"What does this mean?" Usopp shrieked, "Emmy! Are you going to lose control?"

Emmy bit her lip. "I...I don't know...I think as long as I have my bonds then...We should be okay, right?"

"Why are you asking us?!" Usopp asked, "This is something we should be asking you!"

Sanji seemed to be the only one not at all rattled by this news. He ashed his cigarette over the crab and then brought it back to his lips. "Oy. Usopp, calm down. Emmy-chan is right. As long as our bonds are there and stable, Emmy-chan will be fine. Besides, the headband was just a precaution. Emmy-chan doesn't really need it."

"Yes...but…" Emmy's hands went up to her head and she flattened her palms against her hair, "It was...a gift from Gramps. My first gift..."

Luffy hopped off his perch and he put his hands behind his head. "Shishishi. Gramps gave you that to protect you. He'd be happy to see that you don't need it."

"I...I guess," Emmy said with her hands still on her head, "But...it still feels weird."

Nami sighed and she held out her hand. "Toss your necklace over, Prude."

Emmy's eyes widened and both her hands went to the string of beads around her neck. "Why?"

"Just give it. You'll see," Nami said and then she glared, "Don't you trust me?"

Emmy reluctantly nodded and then threw her necklace to Nami. The navigator sat down and soon, she had tightened it, discarding some of the beads but still leaving on the signature faces. She tossed it back to the first mate.

"Wear that over your head," Nami instructed.

Emmy tucked the beads behind her ears with the two smiling faces displayed proudly on the side of her head.

"Better?" Nami asked.

"...Yes," Emmy whispered, feeling comfort in the added weight on her head.

"No problem," Nami said, "That'll be 100,000 be-"

"VIVI-SAMA! WATCH OUT!" Emmy suddenly shouted just as a golden hook shot out from the direction of Rainbase and latched around the princess' waist and yanked her off the crab.

"Ah! Chopper! Stop the crab!" Zoro commanded.

"Bananagator-san! Stop!" Emmy shouted at the same time.

Both animals skidded to a halt as Luffy's eyes narrowed at the stream of sand that was controlling the hook. He stretched his arms and made a grab for it.

"It's him," he seethed before throwing Vivi onto the back of the bananagator and took her place as the captive.

"Luffy-san!" Vivi gasped as Emmy knelt down beside the princess just in case there was another attempt at grabbing her.

"Go on ahead! I can handle this myself!" Luffy shouted as he sailed away from them and then he looked over at Emmy, "Make sure you deliver Vivi back to her home! Make sure!"

"But Luffy! I-" Emmy protested.

"Emmy, I'm leaving Vivi to you!" Luffy grinned as he hit the sand. His smile and stare did not waver in the slightest.

Emmy's mouth clamped shut and she nodded back at him. "En. And...we'll leave Crocodile to you."

With that, she got up to her feet and took her brother's place on the head of their ride. "Bananagator-san...Let's keep moving, please."

"That idiot," Zoro said with a grin and then turned back to the reindeer, "Go! Chopper! Keep going to Alubarna."

"G-Got it!" Chopper slapped the reins and both animals tore off again through the desert.

"Wa-wa-wait!" Usopp stammered and looked back and forth between the first mate and the captain, who was getting smaller and smaller with every second, "Are you really going to leave him?! Zoro?! Emmy? Just like that?!"

"Luffy-san!" Vivi exclaimed.

"Listen, Vivi. He'll keep Crocodile under control," Zoro said sternly, "We're working with a time limit that has been set the moment the rebel army started running. Once the rebel army meets the royal army, the Kingdom of Alabasta will be gone. If you are the one and only hope to stop this from happening, then you have to survive no matter what."

"No matter what might happen to any of us here, you are the priority, Vivi-sama," Emmy joined in and she shared a determined glance with the swordsman, "We've already agreed to put our lives on the line for you. In order to save this kingdom. Your job is to stop the fight. The whole reason why you left this land in the first place, right?"

Vivi's fists clenched at her side and she turned towards the back of the crab. "LUFFY-SAN!" she screamed, "WE'LL BE WAITING FOR YOU IN ALUBARNA, OKAY?!"

"YAHHHH!" Luffy shouted back.

Emmy smoothed the front of her wrap. "It'll be fine, everyone. Luffy had said from the beginning he was going to beat Crocodile and he will."

Her words did little to reassure the group and everyone was well aware of it. None more so than the swordsman but he nodded anyways. No need to aggravate anyone if he voiced his concerns. Nothing good would come out of it and there was now the added factor of making sure nothing affected Emmy's bonds.

Apparently, the sniper had come to the same conclusion as well.

"Gather around, everyone! Let me tell you about the story of how the bow legged crab came to be," Usopp announced. "Many, many years ago, when I was just a young boy..."

Emmy let Usopp's words drown out as she looked at the view ahead. The sun was setting and the orange sky was bleeding into the orange sand. It was like they were running towards a void of nothing but orange. One of her hands dropped from the reins and went to her tensed stomach.

 _Luffy…_ , she thought as she gauged their bond. He was angry and frustrated. He must've hit an obstacle of some sorts. Emmy wasn't too surprised by that since he was up against a Warlord and she had experienced first hand how crafty and malevolent Crocodile could be.

However, even that small glimpse into Luffy's emotions was hard for Emmy to hold on to since all of her bonds were forming into a cluster of doubt and worry. It made the external cloud of the same feelings so much easier to penetrate and the cloud was getting physically closer and closer to the first mate.

"Is Luffy-san going to be okay?" Vivi asked quietly as she sat sideways behind Emmy with her legs dangling over the Banagator's thick neck.

"Yes," Emmy said. She turned her head and she smiled at the princess. "Do you want to play a game of cards?"

"Eh? C-Cards?"

"There's nothing else for us to do so we might as well keep our hands and minds busy, right?"

The princess blinked at the first mate. She watched Emmy adjust herself so her back leaned against the banana growth, like the back of a seat, and she started to deal out two hands for a game of Goldfish, a convoluted version of Go Fish that Luffy had insisted was a real game. Out of all the people in the crew, Vivi would think that Emmy would be the most concerned for the captain but there was no sign of it at all on her face or through her actions. She was much more distraught over her lost headband.

"I...I wish I could be like you," Vivi found herself saying.

Emmy froze in the middle of organizing her hand. "Like me? What do you mean?"

"I'm constantly worried sick and filled with doubt...I wish I had more strength and faith like you...Back at Rainbase...you kept trying and fighting even when things looked entirely hopeless. Even now...with Luffy-san...How do you do it? How do you stay so calm?"

"I don't know about strength or faith but...My world does not exist without Luffy," Emmy stated, "That is all."

"'That is all?'" Vivi repeated, "I don't understand."

"Whatever happens, Luffy will win," Emmy said, "And I refuse to acknowledge anything else. I've learned that doubt happens when you have multiple choices or possibilities and you can't decide between them. If you only focus on a single outcome, it makes deciding your next move much easier."

Vivi couldn't help but smile. It was a very linear way of thinking and it was clearly inspired by the mentality of the captain.

"Who, me?! Scared, you say?! Why, you…! Stupid, fancy eyebrows!"

"Oh dear," Emmy sighed as she rested her cards on her lap and then turned to look at her nakama. Zoro was glaring at the cook, who matched his expression.

"That does it! Now I'm mad! You...You...Moss Head!" Sanji shouted.

"What?!" Zoro snarled as he got to his feet and the two ran at each other.

"You wanna go at it?!" they shouted in unison.

"Feel Feel Pull!"

"Ow ow ow ow ow ow!" Zoro and Sanji winced as both of their heads jerked away from each other by a sharp tug on their ears.

"I understand we're all a bit worked up but must we take it out on each other?" Emmy lectured with her fists pulled back to the sides of her head.

"Ow! Emmy! This really hurts. Let go!" Zoro yelled with the redness of his ear spreading down the side of his neck.

"Not until you apologize to each other."

"WHAT?!" the boys yelled.

"There's no way in hell I'll do that!" Zoro shouted.

"Emmy-chan...I will happily apologize to you and the ladies for causing a ruckus but not to this guy," Sanji protested at the same time.

"Do it! Or else would you like me to pull on something much more sensitive than your ears? Like...like the equipment between your legs!" Emmy threatened.

"EMMY!" Even Chopper was taken aback by the first mate's threat and the whole group, including the camel, gaped at the first mate.

"I'll do it!" Emmy said even though her face turned a bit red, "I really will!"

"Okay! Okay!" Zoro and Sanji yelled.

"Sorry, you shitty moss head," Sanji mumbled.

"Sorry, you creepy cook," Zoro grunted back.

They quickly rubbed their ear furiously the second it was released but it still wasn't enough to appease the swordsman. "What the hell kind of threat was that, Emmy?! Have you done that before?!"

Emmy's face turned as red as Luffy's vest and her hands went to cover her warmed face. "No...but...I've heard Dadan-san use a similar threat a couple of times and it always seemed to work."

"Who's Dadan-san?" Chopper asked.

"Someone who helped look after me and Luffy while Gramps was away," Emmy replied. A soft but chilly wind swept past Emmy and when she looked around, she realized that the sun was almost completely gone, "Oh dear. We didn't bring any blankets. We'll have to huddle together to keep warm tonight."

"Yosh! Nami-san and I will come over to your side and-" Sanji volunteered.

_Thwack!_

Nami punched him hard on the head to shut him up. "Vivi! When do you think we'll get to Alubarna? We'll have to cross the river first right?"

"Ah!" Vivi gasped as her hand went to the side of her face, "I completely forgot! The river!"

"What? What about it?" Usopp asked.

"We can't cross the river on the crab," Vivi said, "Moving Crabs are creatures of the desert so they don't take to water. We'll have to all ride on Bananagator-san when we reach the river."

"Okay. When we reach Sandora River, we'll-"

Emmy sucked in a breath in the middle of her sentence and she looked in the direction where they came from.  _Luffy...Luffy's fading…_

She didn't notice when or how their bond got that small but the decrease was significant. Luffy was severely weakened and only the intensity of his anger helped Emmy grasp his presence.

"What? Emmy? What happened? Did you feel something? EEP! Did something happen to Luffy?!" Usopp shrieked.

Emmy blinked and her eyes scanned through her nakama. They all were looking at her with concern. Just as she was deciding what to say to them, a strange feeling came from Luffy's bond.

"Eh?" Emmy closed her eyes and tried to focus on the weak tie she had with the captain.  _Gratitude...Luffy's...thankful for something? Why?_

"Emmy!"

Zoro's bark interrupted Emmy from her thoughts. "What's going on with Luffy?"

"I...have absolutely no idea."

* * *

"Th...Thank….Thank you…" Luffy rasped to Miss All Sunday as she set himself down onto the sand. She had retrieved him from his sandy grave and stood a few feet away from his bloodied body, with the dim glow of Raindinner's vibrant nightlife behind her.

"Why do you fight?" she asked quietly, "You, who have the name of 'D'?"

"D?" Luffy repeated. He drew in a breath only to cough and hack it out along with the sand that coated the inside of his mouth and down his throat.

"Apparently that was a pointless question," Miss All Sunday mused. One of her hands poked out from beneath the sand and it held up the boy's straw hat. She threw it over to herself and caught it with her actual hand.

"I found you!"

Miss All Sunday casually glanced over her shoulder to find her former opponent charging at her with his sword in hand.

"Where is Vivi-sama?" Pell roared.

"Seis Fleur," Robin smiled as she crossed her arms and three pairs of her arms grew out his back. They reached to each others and linked together. Pell's arms and legs were pulled back from her grip and he was unable to move forward no matter how much he struggled. "Are you awake already? Did the little pirate free you from her Devil Fruit or did you wake up on your own?"

"...E...Emmy?" Luffy gasped.

Without looking over at him, Robin flicked the straw hat to him and it rested on his chest. Robin planted a hand on her hip. "This works out perfectly. Why don't you save that boy?" she asked Pell.

"Eh?"

"He's a courage knight who delivered your precious princess to this land, after all. Besides she's on her way to Alubarna right now. I'm not sure what will happen to her later, though...The situation is what it is," Robin said brusquely as she sauntered over to her ride, a smaller bananagator with banana growths on both it's head and it's tail, "I'm off now."

_Zoooom!_

With a wave of her hand, her limbs disappeared from Pell and her F-Wani charged through the desert, kicking up a trail of sand behind him.

"Damn you!" Pell shouted as he started to charge after her but he was suddenly stopped by a hand on his ankle. He gaped at the bloodied boy, whose arm stretched out like a long rope all the way to him. "EH?!"

"M...M...MEAT!" Luffy screamed, "Give me meat!"

"Meat? What are you talking about?" Pell asked, "In your state, you need a doctor!"

"I'm going to make sure Crocodile...pays for what he did…" Luffy rasped, "He made fun of Vivi..and that dried-up old man...and he hurt Emmy...H-He's definitely going to pay!"

"Who...who are you?" Pell asked.

"M...Meat...give me meat…"

* * *

"Can we still make it? Without this guy?" Zoro asked as the group all slid off the back of the exhausted Bananagator. They had reached the other side of the river without any trouble. However, crossing the desert and the river seemed to be too much for the reptile. As soon as his feet touched sand again, his legs gave out and he laid on his belly with his tongue lolling out to the side.

"That's a tough one…" Vivi said with a bite of her lip, "Even if we ride Lashes-kun, we might not make it in time."

"What's more the camel could only carry two of us at most," Sanji added, "And we need to factor the high possibility of Baroque Works attacking us."

"What should we do?" Usopp asked.

"You did really good, Bananagator-san. Thank you so much for your help," Emmy said with a deep bow.

_Grrrrrrrr._

"'Actually, I grew up on this river. I haven't been home since I was a child so thank  _you_  for bringing me back here,'" Chopper translated.

"Eh! Does that mean you have family here? Are there any more Bananagators we can ride?" Usopp asked.

_Grrrrrrrrrrrrr._

"'Probably but it would take me awhile to find them and convince them to come help. The river is a very big place and Bananagators are pretty cold blooded'."

"Damn it," Usopp cursed, "And we can't afford to waste any time…"

"Wait! Look out there! What's that?" Nami shouted.

The group turned and saw a cloud of sand hurtling towards them across the desert. As they got closer, they saw it was a flock of Super Spot-Billed Ducks. There were eight of them and each of them wore a different hat.

"Ah! It's Carue and the Supersonic Duck Squadron!" Vivi exclaimed as they skidded to a halt right in front of the humans.

They bent their wing and saluted the princess.  _Quaaack!_

Vivi threw her arms around her pet. "Carue! You came for us! With you guys, we'll definitely make it in time!"

"Amazing! We're saved!" Usopp cheered, "Okay. Everyone get on and let's get to-"

"Hold it!" Sanji interrupted as he lit a cigarette.

"What? What's the matter?" Usopp asked.

"This still doesn't solve our problem," Sanji said, "Even if we make it to Alubarna on time, I doubt we'd be able to waltz through the gate and just wait for the Rebel Army without any interference from Baroque Works. They'll be waiting for us. I'm sure of it."

"So we fight them off," Zoro scoffed, "Problem solved."

"Idiot. It won't be that easy and even if we do, it'll eat up the precious time Vivi-chan has before the Rebel Army and the Royal Army clashes," Sanji barked.

"Then why don't we go on ahead first? Be the diversion for Baroque Works...Keep them busy and off of Vivi's back?" Nami suggested.

"Crocodile is smart and careful. I'm willing to bet the ones working directly under him would be on strict orders to eliminate the target, which is Vivi-chan. Just having us there wouldn't be enough to be a diversion," Sanji said, "We'll need to make them believe Vivi-chan is with us."

"What do you think we should do?" Emmy asked.

Sanji eyed the folded fabric draped over the crook of Emmy's arm. "That's Luffy's cloak, isn't it? He wasn't wearing it when he got dragged away."

"Ah... " Emmy said, "I tried to tell him to keep it on but he said it was too hot…"

"Give it to Lashes."

"EH?!" the crew gasped, "Lashes?!"

"Have him wear it and sit on one of those ducks. With Luffy duking it out with Crocodile, they'd be expecting 7 of us appearing in Alubarna. Lashes can be the seventh. Vivi-chan can wait with Carue and just be a few minutes behind us. We'll split up in the city that way Baroque Works would need to split up their forces as well." Sanji said.

"MR. PRINCE!" Usopp rejoiced, "You are so smart and strong! Me and Zoro will be in your group and-"

"Idiot! Zoro and Sanji are going to be in my group!" Nami shouted.

"Oy! I'm going to be protecting Nami-swan and Emmy-chwan!" Sanji said at the same time.

"Doesn't anybody want to be in a group with me?" Chopper asked.

"Everyone! We'll draw cards!" Emmy shouted as she stormed into the center of the group and held up her deck, "I'll sort it so there's only pairs in the deck. You are matched with whoever has the same number as you and whoever gets the joker is paired with Lashes."

"But-" Nami started to say.

"No questions. No arguments," Emmy said sternly as she quickly thumbed through her cards and sorted out the deck, "We don't have time to waste. Luffy left Vivi-sama to us and that is the priority."

Nami snorted. "Fine."


	62. I am Her Opponent.

"Hey! Look over there! The rebel army is coming into view! There's so many of them. How fabulous!" Mr. 2 gushed as he batted his mascara laden lashes towards the cloud of sand lining the horizon. Baroque Works' top numbered agents and their respective partners were all waiting patiently outside the West Gate of Alubarna. They all had the same mission and none of them expected to fail.

"Indeed," his partner agreed. Miss Cultural Day was perched on top of a boulder while playing a serene melody on a violin. Her legs were crossed and her ponytail swayed with every movement of her bow. The sharp metal tip of her bow gleamed against the desert sun with every upwards stroke. It was all quite graceful and elegant if not for the jarring fact that there was actually no instrument in her hand. The bow was stroking right on her white shirt sleeve yet music was still being played.

"The princess is really a nincompoop if she thinks she can stop them. But then again...is the nincompoop really coming?" Mr. 2 wondered as he moved into an arabesque with his arms and leg outstretched, "Or...isn't she coming? Is she coming? Isn't she coming? It's so vague!"

"Oy! Oy! Oy! Oy! Oy! Oy! Oy! Oy!" Miss Merry Christmas huffed and stamped her feet with every syllable, "Are we sure about this? Are we sure about this? The princess and the pirates are really coming, right? At this rate, the rebel army is going to get here first!"

The music stopped short. Miss Cultural Day kept her arm bent and her bow posed right next to the crook of her elbow. Only her black eyes moved to the edge so that she could look coldly at the rotund woman. "Must you be so crude and noisy, Miss Merry Christmas?"

"Me?! Me?! Me?! Me?! Me?!" Miss Merry Christmas shrieked and then pointed at Mr. 2, who was beginning to pirouette, "Look at who you're partnered up with! What about him? Huh? What about him? What about him?!"

"At least he does it with grace," Miss Cultural Day sniffed and restarted the song again.

"Don't get all worked up, Miss Merry Christmas," Miss Doublefinger suggested next to her partner, Mr. 1, "There is a slight chance that they don't get here in time. After all, they did lose a good deal of time at Rainbase.

"What? They did?!"

Miss Cultural Day's neatly tweezed eyebrow raised ever so slightly. "Maybe if you talked less and listened more, you'd be able to remember the details of our briefing, Miss Merry Christmas."

"You wanna fight me? Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!"

"Enough, you two!" Miss Doublefinger lectured.

"Jyo! Suppose the rebellion starts before they get here, what are we supposed to deux?" Mr. 2 interjected.

"We don't have to  _deux_  anything, do we?" Miss Doublefinger replied, "Once the war starts, not even the princess will be able to do anything about it."

"We just need to get rid of whoever we're told to get rid of," Mr. 1 spoke up, "Can't you even determine that for yourself?"

Mr. 2 glared at his rival. "It sounds like you're just dying for a taste of my kenpo!"

Miss Cultural Day stopped her music again but this time she flicked her bow out and held it in front of Mr. 2's chest, blocking him should he attempt to move any further. "One performance at a time, Mr. 2. We must put on a good show for our audience."

"They...are...coming…" The slow drawl of Mr. 4 grabbed everyone's attention. Miss Cultural Day lowered her bow while Miss Merry Christmas ran up to her partner, who held a pair of binoculars.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner, you dim-witted daruma doll?!" she yelled and grabbed the eyewear out of his hands. She fitted it to her eyes and stared ahead, "Ah! Ducks?"

"Ducks?" the other agents repeated.

"What do you mean, Miss Merry Christmas?" Miss Doublefinger asked.

"Their number seems to have increased!" Miss Merry Christmas reported, "There are seven of them. There were only five of them on the list, not including the Straw Hat. Yes?"

"Wrong," Miss Cultural Day sighed, "Like I said, you need to listen more. Mr. 0 already said that there is a Mr. Prince on their side and also Mr. Prince's partner. If you add that up, the number matches."

"No matter how many there are, our only target is Vivi," Mr. 1 pointed out, "Stay focused."

"Mr. 1," Miss Merry Christmas growled lowly, "You say that Vivi is the only one we need to get rid of? Well then,  _you_  point out to me which one of them is Vivi!"

"Eh?!" the group gasped.

At this point, their target and the pirates had approached close enough so that they could all see with their own eyes seven cloaked figures riding on top of supersonic ducks. Everyone's hoods were pulled over their heads and the cloaks wrapped loosely around their bodies so there was no indication of face or body shape for any of them.

"They're all wearing the same cloaks!" Mr. 2 shrieked.

"What's more, those are the fastest animals in Alabasta!" Miss Doublefinger stated.

"Why those rotten…" Mr. 2 scowled, "How deux we tell which one is Vivi like this?! It's too vague, you know!"

"Let them have it, Mr. 4!" Miss Merry Christmas ordered.

Mr. 4 hurriedly hoisted a heavy gun to his shoulder and shot off an exploding baseball towards the group. It landed right in front of them in the sand.

_Kaboom!_

The ball detonated but the ducks were too fast. They swerved out of the way just in time and continued charging forward. The group split up and they sped past the agents.

"Let us handle the two heading towards the south gate!" Miss Merry Christmas yelled and raced after two of the ducks with Mr. 4 bumbling after her.

Miss Cultural Day smirked. The mole woman's thinking was too straightforward. Since the rebel army was planning to attack the city from the south, Miss Merry Christmas had just automatically assumed that was where the princess would be. The agents needed to give the princess more credit than that. After all, this was a woman who snuck into their own organization and remained unnoticed for quite some time.

She pointed her bow at a group of three heading towards the south-west gate. "Mr. 2, we will go after them," she said. Crafty or not, the pirates wouldn't be that stupid to leave the princess defenseless. It would be more likely for her to travel with more guards than the others.

"Ah! Un, deux, let's go!" Mr. 2 yelled.

* * *

"Teehee. Thanks for following us all the way here."

The fact that Usopp was the one trying to pretend to be Vivi instead of her was just as unfathomable to Emmy as the weird, high-pitched titter that he used as an attempt for a woman's voice. Still, she remained silent with her cloak intact as she sat on top of her duck while she and Usopp flanked Lashes.

Under her hood, she stared at the familiar Mr. 2 and his partner. They managed to lure the agents into the city and Emmy could only hope it was deep enough. Vivi needed all the time she could get in order to quell the anger of an entire army.

"What?!" Mr. 2 asked.

"You're not Princess Vivi," his partner commented to Usopp.

"What are you talking about? I  _am_ Princess Vivi!" Usopp replied with a false giggle. Then he laughed for real, "Juuust kidding!"

He threw off his cloak and pulled down the hood of Lashes' as well. Emmy removed her hood and she smiled apologetically at the agents. "I'm sorry. You guessed wrong. Vivi-sama's not with any of us."

"WHAT?!" Mr. 2 and his partner gasped.

"That's right! You've been tricked by me, legendary trickster Usopp! I have over 8000 disciples that-"

_Thwack!_

Usopp's boast was cut short by a powerful, yet elegant, kick across his jaw, sending him flying off his duck. Without a pause, Mr. 2 spun on his foot and gave the same treatment to the camel, knocking both of them out cold.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Mr. 2 roared with fury.

"Usopp! Lash-" Emmy stopped short and leaned to the side just as the bow of Miss Cultural Day came stabbing across where her head had just been.

"You go get the princess, Mr. 2. I'll perform for this one," Miss Cultural Day said.

"Jyo! I'll leave it to you, Cultural-chan!" Mr. 2 cried. He ripped off Usopp's cloak, turban, and goggles and then bounded off into the distance.

Emmy's eyes locked into the agent's and she wordlessly slid off her duck. She pushed it forward.

"Quack!"

"Go. Get out of here. Get to Vivi-sama before Mr. 2 does," Emmy said without breaking her gaze.

"Quack!"

"Qu...Quack!" the duck cried out and then it darted out of the street with his two other brethrens following.

"Very admirable but have you forgotten about my partner's ability?," Miss Cultural Day mused as she started to bow along her arm, "The princess will think of him as your friend over there and not know to protect herself."

"Vivi-sama will know he's a fake," Emmy stated, "We've set up precautions just in case."

"Oh. You mean the bandage around your arms?" Miss Cultural Day smirked.

"Among other things," Emmy said, "Like I said...we've taken proper precautions."

The agent's smirk turned into a genuine smile. "You show poise in a time of crisis. Brava!"

A soft but lilted tune flowed out from Miss Cultural Day and the song made Emmy tingle all over. "You're a Devil Fruit user?"

"Yes," she said, "I ate the Violin-Violin fruit. I'm a human violin. Now bask in the beauty of my performance."

"It...It's a lovely tune," Emmy admitted and ran a hand over her arm, which was getting covered in goosebumps. It was a similar sensation she had experienced from another agent. Behind her, deep snores erupted from Usopp and Lashes, "You're...You're like Miss Goldenweek. You can stir up emotions."

The music stopped abruptly and Miss Cultural Day glanced at Emmy over her bow. "You are not affected?"

Emmy clasped her hands behind her back. "Since you told me about your powers, it is only fair I tell you mine. I ate the Feel-Feel Fruit. I am an empath."

"How interesting," Miss Cultural Day said. Her bow fell to her side and she stood up a little straighter, "A new audience to perform for."

She swished her bow hand across her chest while tucking her other arm behind her back. She bent at the waist and bowed to Emmy. "Let's begin."

With a blink of an eye, she was upright and her bow flicked smartly towards Emmy. Miss Cultural Day stabbed forward with one arm still bent behind her back. "Martelé!"

Emmy tried to sidestep it but she was not fast enough. The tip of the bow caught her cloak and it cut right across the fabric.

"Oh dear," Emmy said as she quickly removed the cloak but she also took off the tunic under it as well. She was back in her dancer outfit now but at least she had the small comfort of having her apron tied in the front. However, she wasn't doing it for comfort.

"Oh...are you going to dance to my music?" Miss Cultural Day mused.

Emmy lifted her hand and was just about to put it into her pocket when the agent leapt into action, not giving her any opportunity for a chance to attack.

"Sautillé!"

Emmy gasped and hopped from side to side in an effort to avoid the rapid stabbing coming from Miss Cultural Day. The first mate did not have any time to think much less grab her deck of cards. Instinctively, she reached out and sandwiched the middle of the bow between her two palms.

"Legato!"

Miss Cultural Day pulled back her bow, out of Emmy's grip. As she did so, the sharp point left a deep gash in Emmy's hands but Emmy ignored the pain.

"Feel Feel Punch!" she said as she balled up one of her hands into a blood dripping fist and thrust it forward.

"Ugh!" Miss Cultural Day grunted and stumbled a few steps back. She pressed her hand and her bow to her belly.

"Feel Feel Punch!" Emmy shouted and threw her arm across the air. The phantom hand socked Miss Cultural Day across the jaw, forcing her ponytail to loosen up slightly.

"Gah!" Miss Cultural Day gasped. A strand of hair fell over her face and a surge of annoyance erupted from the agent. "How dare you! Martelé!"

She lunged forward with her bow in hand and proceeded to swish and jab at Emmy in a rhythmic pattern. "Martelé! Jeté! Sautillé!"

Emmy ducked out of the way as fast as she could but with every step she took, Miss Cultural Day moved forward and followed her without missing a beat. There were nicks and shallow cuts along Emmy's cheek, neck, and arms while the initial cut in her palms were already closing up.

"Jeté!"

Emmy's head jerked back in order to avoid getting her nose slice off. As her foot moved back, her heel caught onto a rock and she found herself falling. "Oh no!"

"Martelé!"

"Emmy-chan!"

_Swish! Thud!_

The bow sliced downwards just as the cook came sliding over. His arms wrapped protectively around Emmy's head as he tackled her to the side. A clean tear on the back of his suit jacket ran from his shoulder to his waist.

"Sanji!" Emmy gasped.

"Damn it, Usopp!" Sanji said as he got up to his feet and pulled out a cigarette from his pocket, "What the hell are you doing sleeping and leaving Emmy-chan with...OH! Mellorine!"

He balanced the cigarette perfectly between his fingers as he used the same hand to lift Miss Cultural Day's to his lips, "Such a breathtaking beauty that is only equalled by your grace befitting a true lady."

"You must be the elusive Mr. Prince," Miss Cultural Day said with a raised eyebrow.

"At your service," Sanji replied.

"Eh? Sanji? Emmy? What's going- EEK! The agent! She's still here! Emmy! Get her!" Usopp sat up from his spot and widened his one eye that was not swollen from the kick.

"Shut up, Usopp!" Sanji snapped and shot a glare over his shoulder, "Don't threaten a lady and don't rely on Emmy-chan to do the work for you."

"Who's side are you on?!" Usopp demanded, "She's an agent! She's the partner of that face changing guy...Where is he anyway? EEP! He must've gone after Vivi! Sanji! Go stop him!"

"You're the one that let Mr. 2 get away! You go stop him!" Sanji retorted and then he flashed a simpering smile at the violinist, "Besides, can't you see I'm busy? Tell me, beautiful lady, what is your favorite dish?"

A slow and melancholic tune sang through the air and tears started to fill the cook and sniper's eyes. Emmy looked confusingly at the bow still in the agent's hand. It was stuck up into the air and the hairs on the bow were not touching any form of her body.

 _How is she playing?!,_  Emmy thought with alarm and then she sucked in a breath when her eyes travelled south. Miss Cultural Day stood en pointe with one foot while her other leg brushed up and down her supporting leg,  _Her whole body is the instrument! She doesn't need the bow!_

"Oh...such beautiful sorrow…" Sanji wept as he fell to his knees and buried his face in his hands.

"I'm scared and sad...at the same time…" Usopp wailed, "Wh...what is going on?!"

"Martelé," Miss Cultural Day smirked as she raised her bow over her head.

_Swish!_

"Feel Feel Pull!"

The bow's trajectory was changed by pulling Miss Cultural Day's legs out from under her. Her weapon swept upwards into the air instead of across Sanji's neck and the first mate's attack also stopped the music from playing.

"Sanji. Usopp. She is my opponent," Emmy said, "I'm the only one capable of handling her. You two go on ahead! Don't forget why we are here. Vivi-sama needs us."

"Ah...sorry, Emmy-chan," Sanji replied as he got up to his feet, "Usopp! I left Chopper alone out there handling two agents. Go assist him. Leave Vivi-chan to me."

"You what?!" Usopp shrieked.

"I had to! As soon as I saw your ducks ran out of the gate, I knew Emmy-chan was in trouble!" Sanji snapped.

"What about me?! I was in the most trouble!"

"Just go!" Emmy ordered, "Now!"

"Y-Yes, ma'am!" Usopp cried as he and Sanji scrambled off.

Emmy clasped her hands in front of her apron and this time it was her turn to bow. "I apologize for the interruption. Let us resume."

A smile tugged on the corner of the agent's lips. "Ah. Intermission is over. Time for Act 2." Her hand went up to her ponytail and she swiftly removed the band that held it in place. Her slick black hair cascaded down her back and she swished her head back and forth. "I can let loose now."

"As can I," Emmy said as she took out her deck of cards. She began to throw card after card towards Miss Cultural Day. With every card, she took a step back.  _As long as I can create distance, I should be fine. Her main attack is her bow, after all._

"Pizzicato!"

 _Twang!_   _Twang! Twang!_   _Twang! Twang!_   _Twang!_

Emmy's eyes widened and her flurry of cards stopped. Strands of Miss Cultural Day's hair lashed out and sliced each of the cards, which fluttered to the ground in perfect halves. The hair was wiry and taut like the strings of a violin. Before Emmy could recover from her surprise, Miss Cultural Day was already lunging at her with her bow in hand. "Duet!"

"Ah!"

Despite avoiding the bow, there was nothing Emmy could do to evade Miss Cultural Day's hair. They cut and stabbed into her skin no matter where she turned. The only thing Emmy could do was raise her arms up to cover her face while focusing on evading the bow.

"Arpeggio!"

 _Twang!_   _Twang! Twang!_   _Twang! Twang!_   _Twang!_

A series of Miss Cultural Day's hair swiped Emmy hard across the cheek. She fell to the side with five neat gashes on her face. Emmy's hand instinctively went up to touch the wound as Miss Cultural's Day stood over her with her bow pointed directly at Emmy's chest.

"And now for the Finale…" Miss Cultural Day announced, "Don't worry. Mr. 2 enjoyed himself on your ship the other day. He seemed to have taken a liking to you and your nakama. I will honor that with a swift and painless ending for you. Jet-"

The first mate grabbed the bow and yanked the agent forward with it.

"What?" Miss Cultural Day gasped just as Emmy put a palm to Miss Cultural Day's forehead.

"Feel Feel-"

"Pizzicato!"

Emmy's whole body convulsed when all of Miss Cultural Day's hair stabbed into her upper body but her hand did not budge nor did her determination. Her pain. Her wounds. They would all heal with time and they were nothing compared to the pain that the kingdom would feel if they failed. The pain Vivi-sama would feel.

"Paralytics!" Emmy cried through gritted teeth.

Miss Cultural's Day body and hair went limp. She sagged into Emmy's arms and her bow rolled out of her hand. Her strands loosened and slowly pulled out of Emmy's body as she lowered.


	63. I am Returning a Favor.

"For the last time, Usopp, get off and let Emmy-chan take a ride!" Sanji lectured. They were running towards the center of the city with a heavily bandaged Usopp splayed on Lashes' back while Chopper clung to Lashes' head. The first mate was being carried by the cook on piggyback while she sewed up the cut on the back of his suit jacket.

"No! It's okay. I'm not done fixing your jacket yet. I feel bad it got torn because of me," Emmy protested, "Besides, Usopp is very hurt! I mean, just look at him."

"It's nothing, Emmy-chan," Sanji said, "You heard Chopper. It's just a broken femur with potentially a busted nose, humeri, and clavicle. Plus some extreme but not fatal blood loss. Nothing to worry about."

"DOES THAT SOUND LIKE NOTHING TO YOU?!" Usopp sobbed, "Emmy...surely you feel my pain…"

"Yes," Emmy admitted, "But I have to admit...I think Zoro might be in worse shape than you. His pain is-"

"He can handle it," Usopp and Sanji stated at the same time but with the sniper blubbering it out with a snot bubble popping in the process.

"Stop crying!" Sanji snapped.

"How can I?!" Usopp hiccuped, "I'm...I'm just so relieved that Luffy is okay. I mean, when that mole hag told me he was dead, I thought the worst but if Emmy said she could still feel his bond and it's getting stronger by the minute...then…"

"My guess is he's either getting closer or he's eating a lot of meat," Emmy reported with a nod.

"Whatever the case, we need to get to the palace," Sanji said, "That's where Vivi-chan was headed and the rumblings of battle is getting louder and louder. Emmy-chan, are you sure you can handle this? We'll be running right into two armies clashing."

"Thank you for your concern but I'll be fine. Everyone's a bit tired and weakened but our bonds are still present and standing," Emmy replied and then detached her needle from her string, "There! Your jacket is all done."

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_

"Tch," Sanji clucked as they approached the Palace Square. There was a dust devil covering the area and the only thing the pirates could see was the sporadic sparks of gunshots and the greyed out silhouette of the men closest to them, "Hang on, Emmy-chan."

"What is with all this sand? I can barely see," Chopper said with squinted eyes. Immediately, he started to cough, "Gah! It's down my throat."

Emmy slammed her eyes shut and pressed her forehead against the cook's back. Confusion and outrage swarmed through the area just as thickly as the sand and dust in the air. With every person they passed by, Emmy could feel almost the same sentiment regardless on which side of the army they were on. However, every once in awhile, there was someone feeling a bit of glee and delight.

"Sa...Sanji?" Emmy whispered.

"Ah?"

"C...Cro..Crocodile said that there were Millions posing as royal soldiers earlier...Do you think they stayed undercover? Do you think...maybe there are also some Millions in the Rebel Army too?"

"Ah. That does sound like a shitty thing Crocodile would do," Sanji agreed.

"So...even if Vivi-sama's voice reaches her people, what about the Millions? Wouldn't they stir up more trouble?"

"Vivi-chan's voice already reached us," Sanji replied with a grin, "So we'll take them out for her. The princess can deal with her people. The pirates can handle the bounty hunters."

"Over there! The palace is over there! I can see it," Chopper shouted out and pulled Lashes' head towards his view, "Come on! Follow me!"

With every step they took towards the palace steps, Emmy's fingers dug further and further into Sanji's shoulders.

"Emmy-chan? What's wrong?"

Emmy looked past Sanji's shoulders and above his head. She ignored just how much the sand stung her eyes. The small but familiar feeling of despair and worry was hanging right above the palace roof. "Vivi-sama...She's right up there and she's in trouble."

"No! Vivi-chwan! I'm coming!" Sanji yelled as he sped up with newfound vigor, surpassing the camel.

"Sanji! I don't think we'll make it in time," Emmy shouted when she felt Vivi-sama beginning to drop down towards the square, "I think-"

She stopped herself and then her eyes watered even more but this time it was not because of the dust. She looked up almost directly at the sun just in time to see a swooping silhouette glide down and into the storm.

"Luffy! Luffy is here!" Emmy cried with relief and then felt his sun-like presence collide with Vivi somewhere up ahead.

"About damn time," Sanji grunted.

By the time they reached the palace steps, they could see their captain having a stare down with Crocodile, who was on the palace roof. Vivi and Pell, in his human form, stood behind Luffy. Both of them looked a lot more wounded than when Emmy last saw them. The same had to be said for the rubber boy, who had a barrel tied to his back for some odd reason.

"LUFFY!" Chopper cheered when he caught up to the cook and the first mate while Sanji lowered Emmy to the floor and then lit a cigarette.

"Eh! Tony-kun!" Vivi gasped as she spun around to face them.

Luffy's head turned and from under the rim of his straw hat, he looked at the first mate but before he could say anything Emmy smiled at him. "I'm okay. You scared me a little but...I knew you were alive."

"Ah! Luffy! You totally missed it. Emmy took down an agent. Of course, it was all per my brilliant instructions," Usopp started to say as he slid off the back of Lashes.

"What are you talking about? You were asleep at the beginning and then you weren't around for the rest of it!" Sanji scoffed.

"Usopp-san...Sanji-san...Miss Maid…" Vivi gasped.

Luffy looked away from Emmy and he solemnly returned to the task at hand. He laced his fingers behind his head and then threw it up to the palace roof. Emmy clasped her own hands in front of her and she gave a small bow to the princess. "Do you need Chopper to take a look at your injuries, Vivi-sama?"

_Bonk!_

"Usopp!"

Before Vivi could reply, Nami and Zoro came charging through the storm with the navigator giving the sniper a hard whack on the head with her new weapon.

"Who asked you to create a prop for parties?!" Nami seethed at Usopp while the swordsman looked just at angry at Nami.

"Oy! Nami! You're standing just fine!" Zoro shouted between labored breaths, "If you're leg wasn't wounded then why the hell did you make me carry you this whole time?"

"Mr. Bushido! Nami-san!" Vivi cried, "You...You're all alive!"

"ZORO!" Emmy gasped at the deep cuts across his abdomen. She already knew the extent of his injuries but it was much more gruesome to look at than she had expected. She ran to him but then he brushed her to the side.

"It's fine, Emmy. Don't heal me," Zoro grunted as Chopper tended to the twice beaten sniper.

"At least have Chopper-"

"No need."

"You can barely talk," Emmy pleaded, "And I can feel your pain. Zoro. You need to-"

"Emmy. This. Is. Nothing," Zoro hissed through clenched teeth and then took a step away from her, "And don't come so close if you can feel it too."

"Oy. You jerk. Don't talk to Emmy-chan that way and why the hell is Nami-chan injured?! You were supposed to protect her!" Sanji snapped.

"Are you kidding?! There's barely a scratch on her compared to me!"

"Stop it, you two," Emmy said, "We already have to break up a battle. Don't double my workload, please. I-"

"Emmy! Everyone!" Luffy shouted out suddenly. "I'm sorry."

The rare apology from the captain stopped everyone from what they were doing. "I lost against him earlier...But...But I won't lose again. I promise!"

Zoro smirked. "Just go already."

"If you can't win," Usopp shouted, "Then who the hell can?!"

"I'm going to put an end to all this!" Luffy cried.

"Yosh!" his crewmates yelled back.

A tear slipped down the princess' cheek. "Everyone…" she whispered.

For a moment, all hope seemed to be lost but now, seeing her friends, she was reminded that not only was the fight not over but she didn't have to go into it alone. No matter how dark and desolate she felt the future would be, somehow this ragtag group of pirates always seemed to be able to bring in some light.

"YOU BASTARD!" Luffy ground his teeth and shot himself up towards the roof.

Emmy took one last look at him before she directed her attention at another man. "Pell-san," she said with a slight nod, "Thank you...You saved Luffy earlier, didn't you?"

A small but noticeably sheepish smile crossed the Guardian's face. "No need to thank me. I just gave him some meat and flew him over to the capital. I wouldn't count that as saving."

Emmy tilted her head to the side. "Were you not there when he fought Crocodile? That's odd...The way Luffy was feeling...I thought..I thought someone came to his aid at the end of it…"

Pell shook his head. "No. When I found him, Crocodile was gone. The only person there besides Luffy was the woman from the roof top."

"Miss All Sunday?!" Emmy and Vivi asked with only the princess having any sort of malice in her question.

"Ah," Pell replied and then he bowed to the princess, "Vivi-sama. I'm sorry I didn't take the opportunity to take her out. I will not let the opportunity slide again."

Vivi shook her head and then she wrung her hands together. "Don't worry about that, Pell. There's something much more important. Crocodile is about to destroy the Square. We have to stop it before everyone here is killed!"

"WHAT?!" everyone gasped.

Vivi bit her lip and then looked up at a clock tower that stood high over their heads. "A cannonball is going to be shot at 4:30 exactly. Once it's shot, nobody in a 5 km diameter will survive"

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US SOONER?!" Usopp shrieked as he looked up at the clock too, "That's 10 minutes away!"

"That damn gator," Sanji seethed.

"What should we do?" Chopper asked.

"Find the cannoneer, of course," Zoro grunted.

"Eh?" Everyone turned to face the swordsman, who had his arms crossed over his chest.

"We'll stop the attack," he stated.

"Within 10 minutes?! How?!" Nami demanded.

"No time to think! Just do it!" Zoro barked.

"Oy! If it's a 5 km diameter blast range, that must mean the guy is aiming at least 2.5 km from here. That's too much ground for us to cover!" Usopp pointed out.

Vivi shook her head. "No. That's not true. The way Crocodile was talking, the cannoneer is probably near the square."

"What?! Wouldn't that mean the cannoneer would take himself out too?" Usopp asked.

Emmy re-clasped her hands in front of her. "Crocodile is cruel enough to do something like that. Take out his own men without them knowing...After all, some of his men have already infiltrated both armies. I doubt they know about the plan to have the square destroyed."

"What a crafty bastard," Sanji clucked.

"Let's go al-," Zoro said.

"Vivi-sama! Watch out!" Emmy gasped just as a shadowy figure came up from behind the princess with a sword in hand. The first mate hurriedly pulled Vivi towards her while Sanji and Zoro blocked the attacker's blade.

"Gah!" the man grunted with his two front teeth coming loose from Sanji's harsh kick. He crumpled to the floor and his blade fell to the side.

"Yipes!" Usopp shrieked when more men came running at them.

"We found you, Princess Vivi!" roared the Billions.

One of the agents sneered. "I wonder how far I'll be promoted when I kill you."

"Tch. We can't waste any more time," Zoro sighed.

"We'll go on ahead and look for the cannoneer," Emmy said with one hand still holding tightly to the princess', "You two take care of this."

"We won't take long, Emmy-chan. We'll be right behind you," Sanji promised.

"We're already wasting time talking about it. We'll just finish it now," Zoro said, "This will be over in-"

"Two seconds," the swordsman and the cook said simultaneously. They leapt forward and attacked the Billions straight on.

Emmy sucked in a breath and raced right through the crowd with the princess in tow. Any weapon or even glare directed at them soon were taken down by a swift kick from Sanji or a quick slash from Zoro.

"Where should we go?" Emmy asked with Pell, Usopp, Nami, and Chopper running closely behind them.

"We need to split up and cover more ground. We also need to get out of this dust devil so we can see better," Usopp said.

"I'll look from above to see if I can spot anything," Pell said and flew up in his bird form.

"Emmy! Can't you sense anything? You know? The feeling of a cannoneer who is about to destroy the Palace Square?" Nami demanded.

"What emotion would that be?!" Emmy asked with bewilderment.

"How should I know?! You're the expert," Nami said.

"In any case, everyone split up, now!" Usopp shouted when they ran out of the dust devil and towards an intersection. Vivi and Emmy started to head west while Usopp went north, Chopper and Nami went east, and Sanji and Zoro went south.

The princess and the first mate ran through the city with their eyes going in every direction. They looked through every window, every rooftop, every nook and cranny for any sign of a cannon. After three minutes of running, the first mate suddenly let out a gasp and pulled her hand from the princess. Emmy stood frozen in the middle of the street with her hand pressed against her chest.

"Miss Maid! Are you okay? What's wrong" Vivi asked.

"Don't worry about me, please. Just keep looking," Emmy said. Her head was bowed and she was unable to even look up at the princess.

"But-"

"We're running out of time," Emmy said, "Just go. I'll be right behind you. I just need a moment."

"Ah...Okay," Vivi said hesitantly before she ran up ahead.

As soon as the princess was out of sight, Emmy let out a small dry cough. "L...Luffy…?" Emmy whispered and looked back in the direction of the palace. Her and Luffy's bond was suddenly weakened and it was feeling so thirsty that even Emmy's throat felt a bit scratchy.

 _Did Crocodile…?_ , Emmy thought but then suddenly, the bond returned to normal and the feeling switched to that of intense relief. Emmy frowned up at the sky. This was Luffy's second close call. He already promised he wouldn't lose again to Crocodile and yet...Was Luffy in trouble?

_Thwack!_

Emmy slapped herself hard across the cheek.

"No!" she shouted at herself, "Luffy said he'll do it so he will. Food! Fight! Win!"

She gave a reaffirmed nod to the sky and then continued to run through the streets. She wasn't sure where the princess went but that was not her goal, any ways. They had to find the cannoneer. That was what Emmy needed to focus on for now. Not Luffy. Not the princess.

However, when she veered around the corner of the street, she found herself facing an unexpected situation. Marines laid strewn about on the street while a familiar marine with blue hair was sprawled at the front of the group. Her glasses sat a few feet away from her with her katana the same distance away but in the opposite direction and one of her legs was bent at an unnatural angle.

Emmy blinked at the sight and then she silently went to the woman. When she knelt by the marine's side, the woman gasped.

"Pirate! Get away from me!" the marine shouted and tried to push herself up to a standing position but her arms gave out before she could even attempt to put weight on her damaged leg.

"Careful," Emmy cautioned and put her hands on the marine's calf.

"What-What are you doing?!" the marine demanded.

"Feel Feel...Pain Trade," Emmy whispered and the marine's widened her blurred eyes when she felt the pain in her leg go away while the sounds of cracking bone exerted from the pirate. The blonde then slowly got to her feet and fetched the marine's glasses, limping as she did so.

"What?! My leg!"

When Emmy returned, she slipped the glasses back on the marine's face and she smiled apologetically. "Luffy doesn't like it when I do that but I owe you one. You helped me back in Loguetown with my call to Gramps so now it's my turn to help you."

The marine was frozen in shock but only for a moment. When she came to, she grabbed Emmy roughly by the arms. "You! I am taking you into custody. You-"

"I'm sorry," Emmy said without giving any resistance to being held in place, "But could you please let me go? My nakama and I are trying to stop Crocodile from blowing up the Square. Time is of the essence and we need to find the cannoneer before 4:30. A million lives are at stake."

"Eh?" The marine stopped and her hold loosened ever so slightly, "You are helping King Cobra?"

The pirate smiled and shook her head. "I have never met the King."

"Then why are you doing this?"

"To stop Crocodile," Emmy said.

_Kaboom!_

A red smoke flared up from a few blocks away.

"Usopp's signal…" Emmy murmured and then she turned her attention to the marine, "Please let me go. I think my nakama has found a way to stop the explosion."

A mix of confusion, frustration, and disbelief swirled within the marine and then very abruptly, her hands fell to the side. "Go…" she said softly to the pirate, "Go stop it."

Emmy smiled and she bowed her head before racing off. "Thank you."

The marine adjusted her glasses and then took them off to clean the lens as best as she could. Maybe her vision was distorted but she could've sworn the pirate's limp was getting better with every step.  _Who...who is she?_


	64. I am Sharing Her Voice.

"Keep going…Don't...give up...Keep...going…"

Emmy's breathy chant wavered with every new level she reached as she ran up and up the flight of stairs within the clock tower. Her legs were on fire and her shoes felt heavy but she couldn't stop. Time was not on her side, which is why she ran up the stairs from the back of the tower instead of the front. She had come from behind and there was just no time to check all the entrances for the correct route.

The panic growing exponentially within her bonds made her fully aware that the cannoneer had not yet been placated. She was sure her nakama were nearby if not on their way to stop it too but that didn't give her an excuse to slow down. In fact, she used the bonds to fuel her. The bond with the captain in particular.

An extreme rage consumed him and it was at a level that Emmy had never experienced from him or anyone else. The intensity of his fury was only beaten by the determination and focus it was directed on. It was definitely directed at Crocodile but Emmy understood Luffy's mindset without even being there with him.

They had to keep going for Vivi-sama. The princess hadn't given up on her country so they couldn't give up their fight.

_Wham!_

In Emmy's haste, her foot slipped on the last step and she fell forward on her hands and knees onto the landing at the top of the tower.

She stiffened for just a second and braced herself for any shouts of surprise or hostility from any cannoneer lurking in the room. When nothing happened, she hurriedly scanned the room and then sucked in a breath with what she saw.

A massive cannon stood right in the center of room, practically taking up the entire space. The tower was a perfect square with an identical glass clock on each of the walls. Each clock ticked loudly with each passing second. One clock face was opened out. At the base of the opened clock was the silhouette of two figures, one was in a skirt while the other was in a long jacket. The ticking sound had covered Emmy's fall so the two occupants had no clue of her presence.

A flickering light from the back of the room caught Emmy's eye. It was the fuse for the cannon and the fire was only inches away from impact. The first mate shot one more nervous look at two figures, making sure she was not spotted, and then raced to the fuse.

"Adjust! Ribbit-Ribbit Gun!" the skirt cackled to whoever she was targeting outside, "This is an unexpected catch!"

"Adjust! Yellow Gun!" the jacket smirked, "This is good! This is good! They're perfect prey!"

"You bastards! How dare you point guns at Vivi-chan!"

 _Vivi-sama!,_ Emmy thought with a gasp as she popped her head out from behind the cannon and shot a frantic out the opening but then her eyes went back to the fuse.  _If I save her, this cannon might go off...but if I don't…_

"Chopper! I'll shoot you guys up anyway! I'll change the direction so you do something after that!" the swordsman's voice rang out from outside.

"Seven more seconds left!" came the cry of the navigator.

"HURRY! DO SOMETHING!" the sniper shrieked.

Her nakama's voice snapped Emmy's mind into gear.  _My nakama will handle the outside. Let me handle the inside._

With that new thought she took in a deep breath and then grabbed the fuse with her bare hands just as the gunmen pulled the trigger.

_Bang!_

Emmy's lips were sucked in and she bit down on top of them to keep herself from screaming out in pain. The fire seared into her palms while smoke billowed out between her fingers and stung her already watering eyes.

 _It's okay...I can heal...I can heal…_ Emmy reassured herself when the pain had subsided enough for her mind to even have room for thought.

_Bang!_

Another shot rang out and Emmy dropped the fuse from her hand. She ran out from behind the cannon just in time to see two bullet trails smoking out a few inches over the head of a tiny Chopper, who was falling down unscathed.

"Eh?! Where's Miss Wednesday?" the figure in the skirt shrieked.

"That's enough!" Emmy shouted.

The two figures whirled around but before they could even lay eyes on Emmy, her palms were already out in front of her.

"Feel Feel…Push!"

"EH?! AHHHHHH!" the two cannoneers cried as they found themselves suddenly shoved off the edge.

"Huh?! They got pushed out?! What happened? Who's there?!" Usopp shrieked from outside.

Suddenly, the princess landed at the opening from above, with her two peacock slashers dangling from her fingers. Her confused expression turned into relief when her eyes fell on Emmy, who gave a slight bow.

"Miss Maid!" Vivi cried.

"Eh?! Emmy-chan?! Emmy-chan's up there?!" Sanji shouted.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner, Prude! Made us worry for nothing!" Nami barked.

"I took out the fuse," Emmy reported.

"Thank goodness!" Vivi breathed.

"I ran up here but the cannoneers couldn't hear me because of the clocks' loud ticking," Emmy said, "I didn't want to call out to you guys and give myself away."

Suddenly, the princess' face paled. "Ticking?"

Emmy nodded. "Yes. From the clocks. Don't you hear it, Vivi-sama?"

The princess gulped. "Y-Yes...Now that you mention it, I do hear ticking...but…"

"But?"

"But this clock tower never ticked before…"

Emmy's eyes widened as the princess ran to look down the barrel of the cannon.

"Oh no!" Vivi gasped and the first mate rushed over to her.

Right in the center of the giant cannonball was a ticking clock and it was counting down. The large barrel of the cannon created the perfect chamber for the ticking to echo loud enough through the room for Emmy not to have known it wasn't coming from the tower itself.

Emmy leaned over the edge of the opening and looked down at the square. "Everyone!"

"Oy! Emmy! If you were there, why didn't you say so sooner?!" Zoro demanded from below.

"No time for that!" Emmy cried, "The cannonball. It's ticking!"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Zoro asked.

"The cannonball has a timing device!" Vivi frantically explained, "If we don't do something, it'll explode right here!"

"WHAT?!" Usopp shrieked.

"Dammit! We already stopped the attack and yet…" Sanji seethed.

"What are you saying?!" Usopp wailed, "That it was impossible to stop the explosion in the Square from the very beginning?!"

Vivi sank to her knees and Emmy quickly reached out and grabbed her by the shoulders in order to stop the princess from toppling out of the clock tower. "How could he...he made us come this far to look for it…" Vivi wept with hot, streaming tears down her cheeks, "He even...announced the attack...Just how far...how far does he have to go to make fools of us?! Just how much does he have to mock us?! Crocodile!"

"There has to be a way...There has to…" Emmy whispered but the words sounded hollow and empty even to her own ears. She looked out into the sky and into the clouds, hoping for an answer to come to her from somewhere as the princess buried her head in Emmy's shoulder and cried.

Just then, a familiar falcon swooped down, landed right on the ledge and transformed into a man.

"P-Pell-san?" Emmy gasped and then her shoulder tensed at the slight pressure of a bullet wound the guardian had sustained.

Vivi looked up and stared at the man. "Pell?"

The man smiled. "This place brings back memories...The Sand Sand Clan's secret base…"

"Pell! Listen! This timing device is on the-" Vivi started to explain.

"Your unprecedented actions really gave us lots of trouble," Pell continued, not listening to a word the princess was saying. His eyes were closed and a wave of nostalgia washed over him, touching Emmy as well.

Emmy blinked at the man as his emotions started to register within her. His sense of pride, gratitude, determination, and sadness was weighing down in the pit of her stomach. "Vivi-sama…"

The princess must've noticed it herself too because she stopped talking and gaped at her protector.

"I feel proud from the bottom of my heart that I was able to serve you, the Nefertari Family," he said with an unwavering smile.

"Pell! You can't!" Vivi protested as he morphed back into his bird form and grabbed the cannonball with his talons.

"Thank you for protecting the princess this whole time," Pell said when his eyes locked with Emmy's, "I am grateful she found such good friends in her time of need."

"We'll protect her to the end, Pell-san," Emmy whispered. Her voice shook with just as much intensity as the princess shivering in her arms but unlike the princess, the first mate did not shed any tears. She had to keep the princess together. Vivi-sama was the priority and not her.

"Pell! No!" Vivi cried as Pell flew off, high into the clouds, with the explosive dangling beneath him, "Pell!"

The princess cried for her guardian one more time, right from the bottom of her heart but it was to no avail. She and the first mate watched as he become nothing more than a shadow within a midst of clouds. Then their entire vision was covered in a blinding burst of light with the shadow disappearing in the center. The light consumed the sky and the blast forced a fierce wind through the city, breaking off rooftops and shaking the entire clock tower. Emmy had to duck and push the princess down with her just in time to avoid getting hit by a loose brick.

For a moment, all was quiet within the capital.

"Vivi-sama? Are you alright?" Emmy asked.

"P...Pell...Pell…" was all the princess could whisper. Puddles from her tears were forming beneath her cheek as the princess tried to register her trauma.

A rising roar from the Square tore the first mate away from the princess as she stood back up to look over the edge. To her horror, not only did the fighting resume between the two armies, but it was with much more fervor than before.

"But...but...how?" Emmy gasped, "Why aren't they stopping?!"

"No...no more...No more..."

Suddenly, the princess was back on her feet and she brushed past the first mate. She stood high and tall on the edge of the clock tower. "PLEASE!" she screamed with every fiber of her being, "PLEASE STOP FIGHTING!"

The sounds of clashing swords, guns ringing, and battle were too deafening and the armies easily buried the princess' plea with their warcries.

The blind aggression and madness was being whipped up into a frenzy and they were making a play for Emmy. However, the first mate was no longer the girl who needed to worry about it overtaking her. Her bonds were holding steady. Her nakama had not given up yet. She had not given up yet.

Emmy sucked in a breath and then knelt on the edge, by the princess' feet.  _I can't share what Vivi-sama is feeling because that's not how projection works...But...I can share what I'm feeling...and that would be the same because even if they can't hear Vivi-sama...We have already…_

"Feel Feel Projection…" Emmy murmured as she folded her hands into her lap, "Grief."

A tornado of midnight blue hearts shot out from Emmy's body and flew downwards hitting everyone in the Square. The sounds of battle were suddenly changed into sounds of weapons falling freely to the floor and then followed by the sounds of deep, heartfelt sobbing.

The men cried without anger or rage. They only cried from a deep sense of loss from whichever side they were on. Whatever crazed fervor they felt was washed away by their tears and sorrow.

Even the Baroque Agents, who had not retreated yet, cried over their own personal loss. The only ones who did not seem to be affected were the pirates.

"What is happening?" Chopper asked as his nose twitched in the air, "Is...is this Emmy?"

"Finally! We aren't affected by it any more," Zoro grunted as he sheathed his katanas and stretched his arms.

"I guess there are benefits from creating a bond with her after all," Nami smirked.

"Oy! Shouldn't being able to protect our nakama count as a benefit?" Usopp snapped.

"Guys! Look!" Sanji said coolly as he lit a cigarette and then blew smoke up into the sky.

The pirates followed his stream and saw a figure floating up high in the sky from the edge of the city. His arms were outstretched and his tattered green coat billowed under him. A stream of sand was at his feet and the sun gleamed from the golden hook that replaced his left hand.

"Cr-Crocodile!" the pirates cried.

"I don't know why he flew out from such a place but seeing how lifeless he looks right now…" Sanji murmurred.

"Th-That's right!" Usopp shrieked with tears pouring down his face, "I knew it from the start! But in any case-"

"HE WON!" the pirates cheered together.

From around them, the sobbing stopped and the men started to look around them in confusion.

"EEK! They've come to!" Usopp shrieked as he brought back out his chalkboard in case he needed to incapacitate anyone with the dreadful sound of his nails scratching it, "Emmy must've broken it off when she noticed Crocodile!"

"Shut up, Usopp!" Sanji snapped as he slammed a hand over the sniper's mouth, "Can't you see it's finally quiet enough?"

"Eh? Quiet enough?" Chopper asked.

"PLEASE STOP FIGHTING!"

The scratchy and desperate cries of the princess finally landed down on the Square without any interference.

"PLEASE STOP FIGHTING!"

One by one, the men looked up to see the source. "Eh?"

"PLEASE STOP FIGHTING!"

"Vivi-sama?!" the men whispered, "She's back?"

"PLEASE DON'T FIGHT ANYMORE!"

Her last cry seemed to bounce off every wall of the city and a hush followed directly behind it.

"Vivi's voice...finally reached everyone," Nami sighed.

_Drip._

A droplet of rain fell right at the base of the clock tower's front steps. There was a pause and then another followed right next to it. Then another….and then another. Soon, darkened clouds flooded over the entire city and doused it in a heavy rain shower.

"The rain...falling right now," Vivi cried to her people, "WIll fall again as it used to...since our nightmares are all over...So please...no more fighting!"

"The nightmares are over…? You can't be serious!" one of the men protested, "We saw the king attack Nanohana with our own eyes!"

"That's right! Koza-san was also shot by the Royal Army!" another man chimed in.

"How do you explain the Royal Army's misconduct up until now?! That not good enough for those who fell in the rebellion!" someone added.

Each side of the army began to retrieve their weapons but before they could properly arm themselves, they were stopped by each of their commanders.

"Drop your weapons, Royal Army!" Chaka ordered from the palace steps.

"Y...You...ahem...Mamamama! You too, Rebel Army!" came an unexpected voice from the crowd.

From the clock tower, Vivi's eyes watered even more. "Igaram!"

"He's alive…" Emmy breathed, "But...how?"

They watched as the former Mr. 8 came to the center of the Square, holding a small boy in his arms. "Oy...can you talk?" he asked the boy, who was severely wounded.

"That's the boy from Nanohana...Wasn't he harmed by the Royal ARmy?"

"N...No...That's not true!" the boy gasped, "Everyone, listen! I saw it! That king was a fake! It was all a trap! That wasn't the real king or the real Royal Army!"

"What?!" the men cried.

"Looks like everything is coming out now," Zoro sighed, "We better get out of here before the marines sets their eyes on us again."

"Good idea," Nami said and she looked up at the clock tower where Emmy was kneeling by herself, "Prude! Where's Vivi?"

"She's running down to meet with you guys to get me help."

"Eh? Why? Why do you need help?" Nami asked.

"...I can't move my legs," Emmy admitted sheepishly.

"WHAT?!" the pirates shrieked.

"Oh my god! Someone paralyzed Emmy! How?! How did Crocodile mastermind this?!" Usopp cried.

"Fool! Your legs would give out if you had to run the whole flight up to the top too," Sanji lectured.

"Just jump, Prude! One of these bone heads will catch you," Nami said, "Hurry up before Vivi gets here."

"What?! That's such a high fall. You won't be able to cat- AH! She's already doing it!" Usopp yelled as Emmy serenely tilted out and over the edge of the clock tower.

"That idiot…" Zoro seethed as he slid forward just as Sanji came crashing on top of him.

"EMMY-CHWANNN! I GOT YOU!" Sanji sang out.

_Thud!_

Emmy landed perfectly in Sanji's arms with Zoro's body taking most of the pressure.

"Zoro! Are you okay?! Your wounds-" Emmy gasped.

"You should've thought of that before you jumped out of a tower!" Zoro grunted.

"But...But Nami is right...We need to leave before Vivi-sama-" Emmy said as Sanji stood up with her still in his arms.

"He's fine, Emmy-chan." Sanji interrupted. He made a dash into a nearby alley with the rest of their nakama quickly following suit, "It didn't kill him so it'll make him stronger."

Emmy stifled a yawn and she smiled softly at the chef. "If you say so."

"Oy, so where are we going, exactly? Back to the ship?" Usopp asked when Sanji slowed down to a brisk walking pace and moved through the vacant city streets.

"I was thinking towards where we saw Crocodile fly up. That's probably where Luffy is," Sanji said.

"Ah, I see...well...I'm coming down with 'if I walk more, I'll die' disease so...Zoro...can you carry me?" Usopp asked, throwing a bandaged arm over the swordsman shoulder.

Zoro coolly shrugged him off and continued on his way. "Then just stay here then."

"What?! Whoa! Hey!" Usopp protested.

They turned a corner and then stopped short. A man was coming towards them with their captain draped over his back. The man wore a long purple coat that draped over a green robe. He had a golden necklace around his neck and a neat beard that was tied off.

"Who are you?" the man asked.

"Ah, thanks for carrying that guy on your back," Sanji said sheepishly, "He's one of ours…"

"We can take him from here," Zoro added.

"Oh? So you're the pirates who brought Vivi back to this country?" the man asked.

Emmy blinked and then she instinctively pressed herself a little more towards the chef.

"Eh? Emmy-chan? Are you-" Sanji asked when he felt the shift.

Emmy clenched her fists in her lap and then she gave a small nod to the man. "She was just as worried about you as she was for her kingdom, Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty?" Sanji repeated and then his eyes bugged out of it's' sockets, "You mean, THE KING?!"

As if to wipe away any doubts, the princess came racing from an alleyway on the other side of the street. "Papa! Everyone!"

"He really is the king…" Chopper breathed, "Emmy, how did you know?"

"That's a story for another time," Nami interrupted before the first mate could say anything, "More importantly, we were promised that if we brought the princess here, we would get paid a-"

" _More importantly,_ " Zoro said curtly and shot Nami a glare, "We can take that guy off your back."

"This young man...he saved my life," the king said with a soft chuckle as the swordsman stepped forward and took Luffy away, "Even when he was completely exhausted from his intense battle with Crocodile, he managed to carry two people above ground to safety. What unbelievable strength…"

"Indeed," Zoro grunted as he pulled Luffy to a dry part of the street, beneath an awning, and then sat beside the captain, slumping against his three katanas, "Now, Vivi…"

"Eh?"

"Go back to the Square."

"What?" Vivi gasped.

"Yeah. The rebellion has ended. It wouldn't be proper if the king or princess didn't say a few words," Usopp laughed.

"Ah! And I'll tell them all about how you all-" Vivi started to say excitedly.

"Vivi-chan," Sanji sang as he lowered Emmy on the other side of Luffy and lit a new cigarette, "You know how it is...We're notorious. We have no intentions of getting involved with a country."

"I'm hungry," Chopper said with his tongue rolling out the side of his mouth.

Nami giggled and she shrugged helplessly at the princess. "We're goin' on ahead to the palace. I'm exhausted."

"Please go, Vivi-sama. Your people need you right now," Emmy added.

Vivi looked into each of their eyes and then she smiled. "Thank you, everyone! I'll see you later!"

As soon as she turned on her heels and left with her father, all the pirates slumped to the ground. One by one they all fell asleep with the first mate being the last. As she shut her eyes and took one of the captain's hands into hers, a small tear streaked down her face.

"We did it...Pell-san…" Emmy whispered, "We protected her..."


	65. I am Entertaining

**Ch 65 - I am Entertaining.**

"Boy! I slept so well!" Luffy cheered from the middle cot in the palace's medical bay. He let out a hearty laugh as he sat cross legged on the soft mattress and grinned at the people in the room. His hand went to his head and he blinked. "Oh! My hat? My hat! Where's my hat? I'm starving! Breakfast! Hey, breakfast! Emmy, I'm hungry and do you know where my hat is? Eh? Emmy? Where's Emmy? Hat? Breakfast? Emmy?"

Sanji sighed from his chair near the door. A cigarette balanced perfectly on his lips while an arm rested right at the top of his chair. "You just woke up and you're already loud. It won't be breakfast, by the way. It's early evening right now."

"And your hat is over there," Usopp said as he stood under the doorway with a filled plastic bag in hand, the most recent batch of gadgets and tools he had just procured from the city's marketplace. He pointed at the bed to Luffy's right, "A soldier found it for you in front of the palace."

"Oh, good!" Luffy shouted. He extended an arm past the princess, who sat in a chair right next to his bed, and snatched his hat. He returned it to it's rightful place and beamed up at the brim, not even noticing the concerned frown on Vivi's face.

"Erm...I'm glad you are feeling a lot better, Luffy-san," Vivi said slowly, "And I don't want to spoil your mood but...Emmy-san...You see, Emmy-san-"

"See? I don't see Emmy," Luffy replied blankly, "She's not here. Are you feeling alright, Vivi? Are you sick?"

"You idiot," Nami scolded from the other end of the room. She was stacking up a pile of books that she had retrieved from the royal library, "You're the one who was sick. You were in serious condition with a high fever and stuff! Vivi and Chopper tended to you this whole time."

"Oh, you did? Thank you!" Luffy chirped immediately and gave a nod to his two benefactors.

The door to the room swung open and the swordsman came marching in. "Oh, hey! Luffy! You woke up!"

"Hey, Zoro! Long time no see!" Luffy grinned while the doctor had the exact opposite reaction to the swordsman's appearance.

Chopper set down the pestle filled with Luffy's medicine on the desk and raced towards the swordsman, who was busy fixing himself a glass of water. The reindeer's eyes were fixated on the sweat marks down the swordsman's shirt and "Oy! Zoro! You've been training again, haven't you?"

"What? It's my business. Stay out of it," Zoro scoffed without glancing over.

"I already said no to training! I'm the ship's doctor! You're still healing and don't take off the bandages either!"

"Tch. It's hard to move with them."

"That's the point! You're not supposed to move!" Chopper shouted.

Luffy frowned and then he tilted his head to the side. "Long time no see?" he repeated to himself, "Is it 'long time no see'? Oy! Emmy! What's the greeting that- Oh! Emmy! Where's Emmy?"

"Ugh. He's so loopy...even more than he normally is," Nami groaned.

"Well, it's probably natural to feel that way since he did sleep for three whole days," Usopp said.

"THREE DAYS?! I slept for three whole days?!" Luffy yelled.

"Yep," Usopp replied.

Luffy's face turned solemn. "I missed 15 meals…" he whispered.

"How come you can calculate so quickly when it comes to food?!" Nami asked exasperatedly.

"On top of that, in his calculations there are five meals a day!" Usopp added, "I guess that's what Emmy meant when she told Sanji to still cook as if she was here. I thought it meant she'd be coming back but she must've meant to add her servings to Luffy's."

"Coming back?" Luffy asked, "Did she go out or something? AH! Is she calling Gramps again?!"

"Emmy-san...Emmy-san left the palace 2 days ago. I tried to get her to stay after the first night but she insisted on returning to the ship. She said this wasn't her place," Vivi said and hung her head, "I guess...even after all this time, she isn't comfortable around me. I'm very sorry, Luffy-san. I should've tried harder to-"

"Oh. She's back on the Merry? Why didn't you say so sooner?"

Luffy's cheerful tone made the princess look up and she was stunned to see that not only was he not upset by the news, but he was also in the process of picking his nose.

"See? I told you there was nothing to worry about," Nami said. She walked over to the princess and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Luffy's totally fine with Emmy leaving and it's a good thing too! We can't have the Going Merry just sitting out there by herself while more marines come in on the daily."

"Although...There is one thing we kinda needed Emmy around for…" Usopp said as his shoulders slumped and his eyes went to the captain's stomach, which was gurgling louder and louder by the second.

"I know," Sanji agreed with a puff of his cigarette, "Good thing we're all healed up and ready for battle…"

Vivi tilted her head. "Eh?"

Within a couple of hours, the princess got her answer. The royal dining hall had never hosted anarchy on the scale of the pirates' dinner. Fruit cores and bones flew every which way around the room while hands and arms continuously shot out from each seat towards the plates in front of them. King Cobra and Princess Vivi could only marvel at the speed of which food was consumed and how much each pirate could pack into their cheeks. Even the royal guards that lined against the walls had their eyes glued to the guests of honor.

"Eat quick or it'll be gone!" Zoro warned Chopper, whose reach was not as wide as the others.

"Without Emmy here to keep Luffy in check, it's a free for all! Every man for himself!" Usopp declared just as Luffy grabbed the steamed lobster right off his plate, "Oy! Luffy! Give that back!"

"Chopper. Slow down!" Sanji yelled as Chopper was in the process of inhaling a serving of pasta as big as his head, "You're gonna choke!"

"ANOTHER ROUND!" Zoro yelled as he thrust his emptied mug to no one in particular.

Vivi laughed loudly from her seat and she caught Nami's eye. As soon as the princess noticed she stopped and smiled guiltily at the navigator. "Is it really okay that Emmy-san is missing this? She should be here with us all and celebrate…"

"And get waited on? In a palace?" Nami snorted and waved her hand around the opulent room, "This isn't that prude's style...Besides, Vivi, you should be happy. Emmy must really like you."

"Why do you say that?"

"Otherwise, she wouldn't have stayed the first day," Nami said, "She would've went back to the ship as soon as everyone had settled in. Believe me...the prude wouldn't stay in a palace unless it was for someone very important."

"But...wouldn't that be Luffy-san? And you all? Her nakama?" Vivi asked.

"Idiot," Nami said and bopped Vivi lightly on the forehead. If she noticed the aghast look on the guards' faces for her boldness, she didn't show it, "You're part of that too."

* * *

_-Meanwhile on the upper reaches of the Sandora River-_

"Thank you for the meal!" Mr. 2 shouted with his fork raised high over his head. He gave a flourishing bow and then stabbed the prongs right in the center of the steaming meat pie.

"It is my pleasure," Emmy said as she set down another pie in front of Miss Cultural Day, who sat directly opposite her partner on the deck of the Going Merry. A third pie was balanced perfectly in the crook of her upturned arm, "Thank you two for warning me about the marines coming. If I had stayed near the harbor, I would've been in real trouble."

"Why don't we make this a dinner and a show?" Miss Cultural Day suggested as she took a delicate bite with her bare hands while her legs rubbed together to play a beautiful aria.

"How fabulous!" Mr. 2 jumped to his feet and began to pirouette to the song.

Emmy smiled at her guests and then walked over to the side of the ship. She tossed over the pie on her arm towards the Bananagator in the water below. "And thank  _you_ , Bananagator-san for both protecting and pulling the ship for me!"

The Bananagator swallowed the pie whole and then let out a satisfied roar to the first mate.

" _I must say, it was nice to have someone do the work for a change."_

Emmy smiled internally. " _Merry-san, now you know how much joy you bring to us when you carry us out on the water!"_

Merry said nothing back but somehow Emmy just knew that the ship was smiling too.

Before Mr. 2 and Miss Cultural Day arrived earlier that day, the Bananagator was the one that mostly kept any surveying marines at bay. Emmy didn't know what she would've done if the former Baroque Agents hadn't told her about the incoming fleet of naval ships. There was no way she and Bananagator-san would be able to fend them all off  _and_  kept the Going Merry safe. But then again, she did have another person to turn to…

She smiled politely at the performing duo and then excused herself to the kitchen to get her own dinner. However, when she pulled the baking sheet out of the oven, there were two pies. She set it down on the dining table and began to fan it with a kitchen towel while Miss All Sunday stared at her with her elbow on the table and her chin resting in her palm.

"Thank you for not telling them I was here," Miss All Sunday said quietly, "And for believing me when I said I did not bring them here."

"You are a guest on this ship, so I will respect your wishes," Emmy replied as she lifted one of the pies to the plate and carried towards the door, "Plus, my power...I can feel it when someone is lying and you weren't."

"That must be a very useful power to have," Miss All Sunday mused.

Emmy hesitated at the door and then she looked curiously at the woman. "Do people lie to you a lot?"

"Almost everybody," she replied without hesitation.

Emmy stared at Miss All Sunday and she opened her mouth to say something but then thought better of it. Her expression turned back to a polite smile and she gave a small nod to her guest. "Enjoy your dinner. There's milk and orange juice in the fridge if you need something to drink. There's also a tea kettle if you want to boil some water. The tea bags are in the upper cabinet to the left of the stove."

"Thank you, Little Pirate," Miss All Sunday said.

"Make yourself comfortable," Emmy replied and then returned to her other dinner party.

"Oy! What took you so long? You missed our entire first act, you know?!" Mr. 2 demanded as soon as he saw Emmy, "How can you expect us to perform without an audience? You gotta be kidding me!"

"I'm so sorry," Emmy said as she quickened her step. She sat herself at the center of the deck and placed her pie at her feet, "Please continue! I'm watching now!"

"Yes! Watch this flower of friendship bloom right before your eyes. Oh, come my way!" Mr. 2 cried as he spun on his foot. He was about to dip down with a sweep of his arm when the music stopped abruptly. His body froze in place but his head whipped over to his partner, where he shot her a deathly glare, "What's the big idea?"

"Speaking of friendship," Miss Cultural Day said as she got to her feet and brushed the crumbs off her pants, "Shouldn't we give your nakama a call? We'll need to sail out as soon as possible before the Navy closes in."

"It does seem like Luffy is awake," Emmy murmured as she did a quick check on her bonds, "But...I have no way of calling the palace. I don't-"

_Purupurupuru. Purupurupuru._

Emmy blinked at the large transponder snail that Mr. 2 had effortlessly pulled out from under his pink cloak. She should've guessed that someone, who had previously impersonated a king, had access to the palace snails.

_Purupurupuru. Purupurupuru. Catcha._

"Hello. You've reached the Palace of King Nefeltari Cobra. Please identify yourself."

"This is Bon-chan! I'm here to speak to the Straw Hat pirates. I know you have them. They're my friends!" Mr. 2 exclaimed into the receiver.

"Wh-wh-What? We don't have any pirates here. What kind of joke is that?," the palace operator blustered, "You must have the wrong number. This is a palace! There's no way we would harbor any pirates. We don't-"

Emmy went over to Mr. 2. She had to tiptoe in order for her to be eye level to the receiver, since Mr. 2 held it so closely to his own mouth and he was quite a bit taller than her. "Please, sir. I really am their nakama. You can ask them yourself! My name is Emmy. They'll know who I am. Please. It's very important I talk to them now."

"What? I...I can't…" the operator said and then he let out a sigh, "Please, just wait a moment."

Emmy shared a hopeful grin with Mr. 2 and they waited for a bit until they heard a click from the other side of the line.

"Hello? Hello? It's me!" Mr. 2 cackled immediately before Emmy could react.

_Catcha._

"You have to let her do the talking, Mr. 2, or else they're never going to take the call," Miss Cultural Day sighed, "Call again."

_Purupurupuru. Purupurupuru. Catcha._

"Hey! It's you, huh?!" Luffy's voice demanded, "What do you want from us? How dare you pretend to be Emmy?!"

"No! Luffy! It's really me!" Emmy interjected, "I'm so happy you're awake. You feel like you're doing well. You must've had a great feast and-"

"Stop it!" Luffy roared with utmost fury, "I'm warning you! Stop using her voice or else I'll come to wherever you are and I'll kick your ass."

"No, it really is!" Emmy tried again, "I can prove it. On my last birthday, you gave me a cake as a surprise from the bakery in Fusha village but the walk back to the mountain took too long and you got hungry so by the time you returned home, only the paper plate and half a fork was left in the box. I thought it was a wonderful present, despite what Dadan-san said. Very useful! I kept the box and I used it to store-"

"Dadan's socks," Luffy finished with a laugh, "Shishishishishi. So it really is you, Emmy! Does that mean you can imitate that weird face changing guy? Is that your power now?"

"Half a fork? How did you end up with only half a fork?" Usopp shouted from the background.

"No...Luffy. He's really here. Mr. 2 is-" Emmy started to say

"Ow! Call me Bon-chan! What if the Navy intercepts this signal?" Mr. 2 lectured.

"But isn't Bon-chan closer to your real name?" Miss Cultural Day sighed.

"You're giving away too much information!" Mr. 2 snapped at his partner.

"Oy! Emmy! What the hell are you doing with that guy?!" Zoro's voice called out from the line. He sounded equally annoyed with Emmy as Mr. 2 was at Miss Cultural Day, "Ugh. Don't tell me you're a hostage again."

"No. I'm not a hostage," Emmy said indignantly, "I'm entertaining."

"Entertaining?!" her nakama repeated.

"I mean...now I am. They are guests on the ship right now but that's because they came to my rescue earlier today!," Emmy quickly clarified, "The marines are closing in but I didn't know that. They came just in time to warn me. I had to leave where we had originally docked otherwise Merry-san and I would've been caught. We've moved to the upper part of the Sandora River. We should be closer to the city than before so it shouldn't take you guys long to come back to the ship. You have to hurry. Mr. 2-"

"BON-CHAN!" Mr. 2 seethed.

"Bon...san..." Emmy corrected slowly, "Said that if we don't leave by tomorrow morning, the marines will have this country surrounded and we won't be able to leave."

"Do you actually trust him, Emmy-chan?" Sanji asked but before Emmy could answer, another person came on the phone.

"Oy! Weird guy!" Nami shouted, "If you think you'll get any reward for helping us, you can forget it! I'm not paying you anything for this!"

"No...No...Geez," Mr. 2 laughed, "I mean, we're friends, right?!"

There was a long pause from the other line and a sweat dropped down Emmy's head. Even though she was technically on Mr. 2's side right now, "friends" would be too strong of a word to describe them.

"Please," Emmy said instead, "Just come back to the ship, Luffy. I'm really worried about the Navy."

"Ah...Okay," Luffy said slowly, "We'll see you in a bit."

"OH! Luffy!" Emmy added before he could end the call.

"Yeah?"

"Please say hi to Vivi-sama and Carue-san for me. I hope they didn't think me leaving early was because of them. I just...I just didn't want to leave Merry-san alone for too long...I must admit, it's a little weird being on the ship without them around."

"Shishishishi. Emmy?"

"Yeah?"

"They miss you too!"


	66. I am Doing My Best.

_Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!_

"Ahhh! More holes!" Chopper shrieked from inside the men's quarters while Emmy was pulled away from the wall of the storage room, just narrowly escaping the sharp iron spear that pierced through the wooden hull.

Emmy gasped as water started to leak in through the hole and she quickly turned to Miss All Sunday, who stood behind her with a hand on Emmy's collar and another hand holding a bucket of nails.

"Thank you," Emmy mouthed to the secret guest, who only nodded solemnly back at her.

" _Little Miss! What do we do?! They don't seem to be done and I don't think I can take anymore!"_

Emmy bit her lip at the ship's call. As soon as Miss All Sunday's sprouted arms pushed the iron spear out to the water, the first mate hurriedly used the hammer and boards she had in hand it patch up the holes as best as she could. "Hang in there, Merry-san!" Emmy said, "We'll get you through this."

"Emmy! How does your side look?!" Chopper called out.

"I'm doing my best but we can't take any more hits! The water is already at my ankles," Emmy replied back.

"Same."

Emmy heard footsteps rushing up the stairs to the upper deck and the door being banged open. "Oy! You guys! Emmy and I can't keep plugging holes like this! Do something!" Chopper yelled from above.

"We're trying!" Sanji's voice snapped back, "It's taking all of our efforts just to protect one side! One ship against eight is not a fair fight."

"One?!" Emmy cried in the midst of her repair work, "Chopper! Did the marines take down Bon-san and Miss Cultural Day?!"

"No," Chopper yelled back, "Their ship is still there but that's a good point. Oy! Why aren't they doing anything?"

"They're just as much in a bind as us. We're completely surrounded by the marines!" Zoro growled back, "If only this was a close combat fight…"

"You'll need to take down at least two of the ships, little pirate. Create an opening in the formation and get out before it's too late. The worst might be yet to come," Miss All Sunday whispered as she perched herself on top of the largest crate and crossed her legs.

Emmy blinked. "Do you know who we are up against? Have you experienced this before?"

"I've never experienced it myself," Miss All Sunday said and rested her chin in her hand, "But I read about this enough in the papers. The iron spears...the formation...This seems to be the handiwork of Captain 'Black Cage' Hina. This area is under her jurisdiction. It sounds like she hasn't arrived yet so you all should get out before she does."

"Is she strong?"

"She's a captain of a Navy. The same rank as the one named Smoker."

"Oh dear...Even Luffy had trouble with him," Emmy gasped. She dropped her hammer and boards and then raced up to the deck, flying by the reindeer, "Everyone! We need to get out of here fast! There's-"

"We know that, Emmy!" Nami snapped from outside the galley, "What do you think we've been trying to do up here?"

"We don't need to take them all down! Just two of them," Emmy tried, "Create an opening in the formation. Hurry! Or else-"

"Ready!" a marine ship cried out, "Aim!"

_Bang!_

Emmy flinched at the loud explosion but only because she didn't expect it to happen only several meters away from her on their own ship. The panic in her bonds were momentarily wiped away by a unified feeling of shock and surprise, the most coming from the sniper.

"Brother!" a marine called out from one of the two ships beyond their starboard side just before the second ship's mast tilted and crashed onto its neighbor, while it sunk from a direct hit. Both ships started to bloom with fire and smoke as they lowered into the water.

There was a quiet around the Going Merry and even the motion of the waves seemed to steady itself for just a moment before the peace and serenity was broken by the usual culprit.

"AHHH! USOPP!" Luffy shouted as he gaped at the smoking cannon next to the sniper, "Did you do that?! You just took down two ships! AMAZING!"

"Whoah…" Usopp breathed. He slowly turned to the captain with his jaw still on the floor. He blinked at the boy for a second and then recovered. His mouth closed and he puffed out his chest, "Ah! It was just as I calculated! See! That's what happens to ships while I'm on the job!"

"Nosie! That was amazing!" Bon Clay shouted from his ship, "You sank the ships in the south! Now we can break through with one shot!"

"The south?" Emmy repeated and then looked hopefully up at the navigator, "Nami! Is that-"

"No," Nami sighed. Her knuckles tightened around the railing, "We can't go from there."

"Wait! Bon Clay-sama, there's trouble!" one of his men warned from the back of the ship.

"What is it?" Miss Cultural Day asked.

"I see a ship! 'Black Cage' is on it!" the man reported.

Bon Clay and Miss Cultural Day both shared a look of distress. "'Black Cage' Hina!" they moaned.

"She was right..." Emmy murmured.

"Eh? You say something, Emmy?" Zoro asked from his side of the ship.

"Oh! Nothing!"

"Come on, guys! We need to get out of here before 'Black Cage' gets closer!" Bon Clay cried out, "That Captain in the Navy is a real pain! We need to fly the coop! Head to the south!"

"You guys can go ahead," Luffy replied and then pointed in the direction of the approaching naval ship, "We're staying here until we can go that way."

"What?! If we don't change course, they'll take us down for sure! It will be our finale!" Miss Cultural Day shouted.

"You wanna go, then go ahead," Luffy insisted, "We can't."

Emmy smiled apologetically at the two former agents. "We have an appointment we can't miss. Not for anything in the world."

"Noon at the eastern harbor," Nami reminded everyone on the Going Merry.

"Ah! That's ludicrous!" Bon Clay protested, "Is there some treasure that is worth your lives? Gah! Just go ahead and die then!"

Luffy tilted his head back and grinned. "We're going there to pick up a nakama."

"Wh-what?!" Bon Clay gasped and he whirled around en pointe. "So...it's for a pal…"

Emmy's hand went to touch her left tunic sleeve, where an important symbol of friendship rested underneath. Around the deck, some of her nakama did the same.

Bon Clay gripped the front of his shirt where his heart rested beneath. Tears trickled down his face and glistened against the desert sun. "I see…" he whispered and moved his mascara-ladened eyes across each of the determined pirates' faces.

"How very poetic," Miss Cultural Day stated with a nod of approval and then she looked to her partner, already attuned to what was in his head, "Is it time for our grand finale?"

Bon Clay smirked at his partner and then gracefully turned to face his own ship. "We shall stay! Hold your ground!"

"WHAT?! Bon Clay-sama! Clyleia-sama!" his crew protested.

"Running now wouldn't be tasteful," Clyleia, formerly Miss Cultural Day, sniffed.

"If we abandon pals who would risk their lives to pick up their pal, will we...will we be able to enjoy our food tomorrow?!" Bon Clay demanded.

The pirates on both ships gasped at his declaration.

"Listen, everyone. Straw Hats, too," Clyleia said, "This is what we will do."

Emmy listened to the former agents' plan with widened eyes and both hands squeezing the front of her apron. Her head shook slightly at first but by the time Bon Clay and Clyleia finished, her head was moving vigorously. "No...No, you can't do that. You-"

"Don't kid around," Bon Clay shouted, "The flower of friendship has bloomed! As you do for your pals, we will do the same for ours."

"We owe you one," Zoro said gruffly and crossed his arms over his chest.

Emmy gasped and turned to the swordsman, "We can't. We-"

"Emmy-chan," Sanji said softly as he lit a cigarette, "We have no other choice."

"But…" Emmy looked to Luffy last in hopes that the captain could provide an answer for this harsh reality that laid before them but was crestfallen to see that his face was just as grim as the swordsman.

"How is he feeling, Emmy?" Luffy asked.

Emmy's lips trembled and her eyes watered. She knew the answer without Luffy having to prompt her. She looked to the former agents, who were already busy putting their plan in action. Clyleia was throwing garments of clothes and wigs to several of her crew members while Bon Clay touched the sides of their face, transforming each of them to one of Emmy's nakama. Both agents were determined and, above all else, they felt proud of their decision to sacrifice themselves and lure away the marines. They were going to stand by this plan no matter what and it would be disrespectful for Emmy to not honor that.

"Come on. We need to get indoors and hide from the marines' eyes," Nami said before retreating into the galley, "We have to hurry or else we'll miss her."

Everyone started to retreat inside but Emmy's feet felt heavy and she looked to the former agents one more time. Suddenly, the swordsman was blocking her view and giving her a hard shove back down the stairs. "Go, Emmy. You heard everyone. No time to waste."

Emmy gulped and she made her way to the base of the steps, where Usopp and Chopper stood. Zoro closed the door behind him and pressed his ear against it, waiting for Nami or someone from the galley to signal when the coast was clear.

It seemed like an eternity to Emmy, even though judging by the clock on the wall it only took about 4 minutes for it to be safe for the marines to take the bait and sail off enough for them to escape. When Emmy returned to the main deck, she could barely see the ships clustered along the horizon but it was unmistakable the amount of fire and smoke billowing out from the center along with the punctuation of cannon fire.

"B-Bon-chan!" Luffy shouted from the railings while Emmy, Usopp, and Chopper cried next to him, "We'll never forget you!"

"Ready?" Nami asked, "Full speed ahead!"

"Yosh!" Zoro and Sanji yelled as they sailed the Going Merry forward.

"...I..I have to finish plugging up the holes," Emmy sniffled as she tore her gaze away from the tragedy and headed for the storage room. Usopp and Chopper both tried to go after her but was stopped by an admonishing look from the swordsman and then a solemn shake of a head from the captain.

When Emmy returned, she found her secret guest still sitting on top of the crate but now thumbing through a thick book. Miss All Sunday's piercing blue eyes peered over the book at her and she blinked twice before lowering the book. "Is everything alright, little pirate? The sounds of cannonfire has lessened. I assume we have somehow made a getaway. A very impressive feat. How did you manage that?"

Emmy's lips trembled. "Bon Clay-san...and...and...Clyleia-san...they...they…"

Miss All Sunday shut her book and rested it at her side. "Ah...I see…" she said and then she gazed curiously at the first mate, who was wiping her tears with her apron, "They sacrificed themselves and lured the marines away using their affinity for theatrics and imitation?"

Emmy nodded and lowered her apron. "If only I was stronger...or smarter...Then no one would have to get hurt…"

Miss All Sunday tapped her chin. "That is wishful thinking. There is no guarantee that you can protect even yourself, let alone others. The world is a cruel place."

"I know," Emmy sniffled, "I will never be strong enough...but...but at least I have Luffy and my nakama. We have more of a chance as long as we stick together, right? I can't protect them on my own but we can protect each other as a group...as a family."

She looked up expectantly at Miss All Sunday and was surprised to find Miss All Sunday with a puzzled look on her face.

_Thump! Thump! Thump!_

"OY! EMMY! Get back up here!" Usopp's muffled shriek and foot stomps ended the conversation and Emmy looked up at the ceiling, "The marines are back! Come help!"

"Oh no!" Emmy gasped and ran back up. Sanji and Zoro were each on a naval ship flanking the Merry's side, taking out the marines on their own while Luffy manned the deck. Usopp was at the rear of the ship with the cannon directed it at the ship coming up from behind him.

_Kaboom! Kaboom! Kaboom!_

Three cannonballs came towards the ship but were quickly ricocheted off of the ballooning captain's stomach and directed right back at the source. "That's more like it!" Luffy roared, "So much better than those annoying steel beams! Bring it on!"

"Feel Feel Punch!" Emmy cried as she socked a marine, who had jumped onto their railing. As he fell back into the water, more marines came the same way and soon there were dozens of marines on the Merry.

"Ah! They're on the ship!" Nami screamed.

Emmy and Chopper leapt into action and helped take out a handful of marines while Luffy demolished the majority of the infiltrators.

_Kaboom!_

With one swift blast of the cannon, Usopp's target went down into the water before they were even close enough for the pirates to hear them yell. Moments later, the two other naval ships went down as well with the swordsman, cook, and rubber boy dealing the fatal blows.

"Whew," Nami breathed as she checked the coast line and then looked down at her watch, "We're just in time. Noon at Tamarisk...This is it."

"Yes! Vivi! Vivi!" Luffy cheered as he ran to the railings closest to the island, "Where is she?"

"She's obviously not here. Give it some time. Just wait," Sanji said as he leapt off his sinking marine ship and landed right next to the captain.

"Vivi-sama...Will she actually come?" Emmy asked the cook.

"I don't know, Emmy-chan," Sanji admitted and smiled softly, "But I hope she does."

"Me too," Emmy said and she stood by Luffy's side, "Vivi-sama…"

They waited with bated breath for any sign of the princess. A sound of an electrical crackle buzzed through the air and it was followed by the princess' voice. "I had...a little adventure."

"Eh? Vivi! That's Vivi's voice!" Chopper exclaimed ecstatically while craning his neck every which way to see if he could spot her.

"Shh! She's still talking!" Usopp hissed but with his binoculars to his eyes.

"It was a journey to cross the dark sea in search of the source of our despair," Vivi continued, "The day I left this country, I faced a vast sea..and on that sea, I found unbelievable, thriving islands beyond the imagination. Creatures I have never seen before...Sceneries I could barely consider real...The sea was such an unfamiliar place to me. At times, the melody of the waves was quiet, swaying gently as if easing my small worries. Other times, the melody was violent and laughing at me, as if it would tear apart my weak heart. When the sea got dark and stormy, I encountered a single, small ship. The ship said to me, while pushing me onwards, 'Can't you see that light?'"

"She's talking about Merry-san…" Emmy murmured.

"She's talking about us," Zoro grunted.

"The wondrous ship, which never lost its way even in darkness, danced it's way across the huge waves. The ship didn't fight the sea but somehow managed to keep it's path straight and unwavering, even during a headwind. The ship pointed and said, 'Look! There's the light.' History will soon call this an illusion but I know the truth. And..."

"Vivi...I don't see her," Chopper whined.

"That's obviously her voice on the speaker," Zoro sighed.

"They're just broadcasting the ceremony being held in Alubarna," Sanji said as he and the swordsman shared a grimace. It seemed to always fall on them to be the bearer of bad news to the crew, "Since she's at the capital, it's obvious that she's decided not to come here."

"No!" Luffy shouted stubbornly, "That voice just resembles Vivi's voice. That's all. Nami! We're in the right place, right?!"

"Yeah…" Nami said quietly, "We're at the right place."

"Alright then. Let's go. It's already past noon and we don't want more marines coming after us, do we?" Sanji asked.

Emmy kept her eyes to the coastline. "She really didn't come?"

"No! She's out there! I know it, Emmy! Let's go out and look for her! She's definitely here!" Luffy shouted as he grabbed Emmy's hand and put one foot on the railing.

"Oy! This is bad! The Navy is after us again!" Usopp shouted from his lookout spot, "Starboard! Four ships!"

Zoro scowled. "Just how many ships are there?!"

"Give up, Luffy. Her case is different than ours," Sanji lectured and planted a firm hand on Emmy and Luffy's shoulders.

"No! She's there! She really is!" Emmy cried and shrugged off the cook's hand.

Sanji was stunned by the first mate's outburst. It was not like her to act so stubbornly and it broke his heart to see her so unwilling to face the truth. "Emmy-chan…," he said gently, "Vivi-chan is-"

"No. She really is!" Emmy said and pointed out towards the edge of the island where a distinct blue hair was flowing in the wind next to a bright yellow duck, "There she is!"

"VIVI!" Luffy cheered as everyone gathered, even Usopp, to see and wave at her.

"Everyone! I came to say goodbye!" Vivi cried out and the smiles faltered on the pirates' faces.

"I thought so…" Zoro sighed.

Another crackle came through the speakers and Vivi's voice was broadcasted once again, "I can't go with you but thank you so much for everything! I'd like to go on more adventures but...there's no ignoring the fact that I love this country. I really, really love this country! So...I can't go!"

Luffy's grin returned at full power. "I see."

Emmy smoothed out her apron and she smiled warmly at the princess. "Well...if that's her decision…"

"I...I…I will remain here!" Vivi said as she started to choke up while she bade farewell, "But if we ever meet again...will you...will you call me your friend again?"

"Vivi! Of co-"

"SHUT UP!" Nami swiftly covered Luffy's mouth with her two hands and then pulled him down to the floor, "Don't reply! The Navy is right behind us and can hear Vivi! If we prove she's connected with us, she'll become a criminal. We have to part without saying anything to her."

As Luffy stood back up, Nami gestured for everyone to move away from the railing. "Don't even look at her, guys. If she's associated with us in any way, we'll be putting her in a lot of trouble."

"But...but...Vivi-sama is crying…" Emmy said as everyone else turned their backs on the princess.

"Emmy…"

Emmy blinked and then looked down at the captain's hand, which was wrapped tightly around her left forearm. She turned to him and saw that his back was still turned but his fingers tightened around her in pulsating twitches.

"Oh…" Emmy said as she received his signal. She joined her nakama as they formed a line with the captain at the center. Slowly, with their backs still turned to the princess, they lifted up their left sleeve, unwrapped the bandage around their arm, and lifted it up high in the air. The "X" they drew as a mark to help identify friends from foe was held in solidarity at the princess, who they knew, without a shadow of doubt, still had her mark on her arm too. No words needed to be said as it was all reflected in the pirates' stance.


	67. I am Not Hiding Anyone Else

"Looks like we managed to shake off the Navy," Zoro announced as he straightened up from the railing and looked over towards his nakama.

"Hmmm…"

"Hmmm…"

"Hmmm…"

Zoro rolled his eyes. "That's good news last time I checked."

His statement was met with the same response from the row of pouting pirates along the quarterdeck.

"Hmmm…"

"Hmmm…"

"Hmmm…"

Their indifference was grating on his last nerve. "What is your deal?!" Zoro demanded.

"I miss her!" Chopper, Nami, Sanji, Luffy, and Usopp chorused.

"Don't be so whiny!" Zoro snapped, "Pull yourselves together! If you wanted Vivi to stay with us that badly, you should've taken her by force."

"Ah! How savage!" Chopper gasped.

"You're a brute," Nami hissed.

"Moss head," Sanji scowled.

"Three-Sword Style," Luffy mocked.

Usopp eyed his captain, "Hey, wait, Luffy. 'Three Sword Style' isn't an insult."

"Four-Sword Style," Luffy corrected.

"No! The number isn't exactly the problem. You see-" Usopp started to say while Zoro let out a groan and he put a hand over his eyes. He heard the door to the deck below swing open.

"So the coast is clear?" Emmy asked.

"Yep," Zoro said.

"Good job."

Zoro stiffened at the familiar voice that was distinctly not the first mate's. His hand dropped off his face so he could verify he wasn't hallucinating.

"AHHHH!" the rest of the crew screamed as Miss All Sunday followed Emmy onto the deck.

"Here to avenge your organization?! Bring it on!" Zoro shouted as he grabbed his sword, "Don't think by taking Emmy hostage-"

"I'm not her hostage," Emmy said and folded her arms across her chest, "I haven't been anyone's hostage for some time now. When are you going to have a little more faith in me?"

"Intruder alert. Intruder alert!" Usopp tearfully shouted into a megaphone while Chopper peered curiously at the new guest from over the railing.

"Who's she?" Chopper asked.

"She's that beautiful lady!" Sanji sighed which did not aid in Chopper's confusion.

"Everyone, please, drop your weapons," Emmy said as she watched Nami raise her Clima-Tact while Zoro drew his sword.

"You're on her side?!" Nami cried, "Geez. First Bon Clay and now this? What is going on in your head? Are you just letting anyone on the ship now?! She's even wearing my clothes too! You gave it to her, didn't you, prude?!"

"It's okay…I can take it from here, little pirate," Miss All Sunday said coolly and then sprouted an arm on each of the pirates' weapons. She knocked them out of the pirates' hands and walked towards a folded up a lawn chair at the other side of the deck, "Didn't I tell you all before not to point such dangerous objects at me?"

"How long have you been on this ship?!" Zoro demanded.

"All this time," Miss All Sunday said as she positioned the chair under her arm and turned her attention to the boy in the straw hat, who was looking curiously between her and the first mate, "Monkey D. Luffy...You haven't forgotten what you did to me, have you?"

"LUFFY!" Sanji leapt into action and he grabbed the captain by the collar, "Luffy! What did you do to that beautiful lady, you bastard?!"

Miss All Sunday seemed unfazed and she looked up to gauge the sky. Then, she calmly walked over to what she deemed to be the warmest spot on the deck and set up her chair there.

"Hey, you! Don't lie! I didn't do anything to you!" Luffy protested and then he looked to Emmy, "Honest!"

Miss All Sunday leaned back on her chair and folded her hands behind her head. "Yes, you did. What you did to me was unbearable. Take responsibility."

"LUFFY!" Sanji shouted and he shook the captain, "What's the 'unbearable thing' that you did?! You'd better take responsibility or-"

"You don't make sense! What do you want?!" Luffy demanded.

Miss All Sunday sat up and placed her elbow on her knee. She leaned her chin on her hand and she smiled, "Let me join your crew."

"WHAT?!" Usopp, Nami, and Luffy yelled while Zoro's attention moved towards the first mate.

"Was this your idea?!" he asked, "Did you bring her on board?"

Emmy smoothed her apron. "No, it was all her idea. Actually, she was on the ship even before I was and since her business was with Luffy, I decided to respect-"

"Respect her decision. Yeah, yeah," Zoro growled and then he narrowed his eyes at the first mate, "Oy…If Luffy says no, she's our enemy. You understand?"

Emmy nodded. "Yes...but that is Luffy's decision to make. Not yours."

"I still don't get it!" Luffy shouted exasperatedly at Miss All Sunday, "What did I do to you?"

"You made me live when I wanted to die. That is your crime," she stated, "There's no place for me to go or go back to...So...let me stay on your ship."

Luffy's stance instantly relaxed. "Oh, I see. Then I guess we have no choice. Okay."

"LUFFY!" Nami and Usopp shrieked in protest while Zoro scowled right to the depths of his soul and Sanji cheered excitedly.

Luffy grinned at his nakama. "Shishishi. Don't worry. She isn't a bad person. Right, Emmy?"

Emmy smoothed out her apron and let out a big sigh of relief. "Yes," Emmy said and she smiled at their new crew member, "Welcome to the ship, Miss All-"

"Hold on a minute!" Nami said as she dragged a table to the deck, "Let's not get chummy just yet. We need to get all the facts. Like what's her real name and if she can pay the 50,000 bellis for taking my clothes."

"That's right!" Usopp said as he pulled out a chair and placed a lamp on the desk. He shined the light right on Miss All Sunday's face. "Let the great Detective Usopp handle this case. I'll get the answers for you!"

Miss All Sunday rested her elbows on the table and kept up her serene smile, "Go right ahead, Detective-san."

"What is your name?" Usopp demanded but then caught himself, "Oh. Right. I'm Usopp. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you," Miss All Sunday replied, "And my name is Nico Robin."

"Okay then, Nico Robin. What's your occupation?"

"An archaeologist."

Usopp leaned forward in his chair, clearly taken aback by the answer, "Archaeologist?!"

"I come from a long line of archaeologist," Nico Robin said.

Emmy looked to Chopper and tilted her head. "Is...an archaeologist a type of doctor?"

"I don't think so...I've never heard of an archaeologist before," Chopper replied.

"I don't know what an archaeologist is!" Luffy exclaimed with authority.

"Yeah, yeah," Sanji sighed and then puffed on his cigarette, "Emmy-chan, an archaeologist is someone who studies history."

"Is that even relevant?!" Zoro snorted and then pointed at Usopp, "Get to the important questions!"

"Right! Right!" Usopp said, "So how did an archaeologist become part of Baroque Works?

"Well, I was first an archaeologist and then I became a wanted criminal. I was eight."

"Eight?!" Usopp gulped as he looked at their new crew member in a new light.  _What could she possibly have done at eight to become a criminal?!"_

"Since then, I've spent the past 20 years hiding from the world," Robin continued.

"Since you were eight? By yourself all this time?" Usopp asked.

"There was no way for a child to be able to survive alone on the sea...so in order to protect myself and in order to achieve my goal, I've chosen to follow various rogues...So that's how it was," Robin admitted.

"So...Crocodile was just the most recent rogue you affiliated yourself with?"

"Yeah, I guess," Robin said, "In order to get closer to the Rio Poneglyph."

"Rio...Poneglyph?" Usopp repeated.

"With my 20 years of hiding, I've become good at doing things behind the scenes," Robin said, "I'm sure I'll be able to help you guys too."

"Oh...You're full of confidence," Usopp said with a raised eyebrow, "So what is your specialty?"

Robin rested her cheek against the heel of her hand. "Assassination."

Usopp jerked back his chair and he turned to the captain in tears. "Luffy! This investigation has concluded that she's too dangerous!"

The sniper balked at the sight of his captain and the doctor laughing hysterically as Robin's sprouted arms tickled their sides. "Oy! Pay attention!" Usopp shrieked.

"Seriously...Being dealt with so easily. How pathetic," Nami huffed as she stomped over to the table, "She was the vice president of a crime syndicate until just recently. How are we gonna let such a woman join us?"

She slammed her hand down on the table and glared at Robin. "Even if you could deceive these idiots, you won't fool me. If you pull any weird stunts, I'll kick you out."

"Okay. I'll keep that in mind," Robin said smoothly and then pulled out a small sack from her pocket, "By the way, before I forget, I brought some of Crocodile's most valuable jewelry with me."

Nami's eyes flashed and her scowl turned into a sweet smile. "Wow! I love you, sister! Welcome!"

"Oy, oy, oy, oy!" Usopp and Zoro huffed.

"Oh...love…"

Zoro's whole body convulsed at the airy croon from the cook. "Ugh...could this get any worse?"

"I'm driftwood that just lays it's burnt-to-a-crisp body in that stream of love," Sanji swooned as he placed a petit four on the table followed by a cup of steaming hot tea, "I'm driftwood that has been struck by the thunderbolt that is your beauty and caught in a raging torrent. Snack...for you."

"Oh, thank you," Robin said.

"At least his reaction isn't a surprise," Usopp sighed, "He was a lost cause from the start…"

"In any case, now that it's come to this, the two of us are the last holdouts," Zoro declared.

"Oy, Usopp!" Luffy called.

"Yeah?" Usopp turned and was greeted by the captain with two hands sprouting out from the side of his heads in a familiar pattern.

"Look! I'm Chopper!" Luffy laughed.

"Pfffft!" Usopp sputtered and soon he was joining in on the fun with Luffy and Chopper.

"Not you too," Zoro groaned and stomped off towards the mast of the ship. He needed a temporary break from this ridiculous situation. He leaned over the railing and stared out into the horizon.

He was only alone for barely a moment before he was joined by the first mate. "Zoro...Don't be mad," she said as she mimicked his position and looked out to the sea.

"I'm not-," Zoro snapped but then realized who he was talking to. He looked over at the first mate, "I don't trust her."

"I know," Emmy said, "But I'm sure you will someday. She's a good person. You'll see."

"I hope you're right."

"I'm sorry for hiding her on the ship but...between Bon Clay-san and the marines-"

"No need to explain yourself. What's done is done," Zoro sighed and then he raised an eyebrow, "Unless there's anyone else you have hiding down there that we should know about?"

Emmy giggled. "No more. I am not hiding anything or anyone else."

* * *

Despite how alarmed and surprised the crew was to the joining of their newest member, the pirates eased into normality fairly quickly. The rhythm of the day beat more steadily with each passing day at sea. Even Robin developed a daily routine for herself. Every morning, she would wake up before the navigator, get dressed, and then would be greeted by the cook with a well-brewed cup of coffee and whatever breakfast he concocted that day. If the news coo had delivered his paper by then, she would enjoy her first meal while reading the latest news. If not, she would dine out on the deck and watch the first mate do her morning chores.

First, the first mate would scrub the deck and tidy up any miscellaneous items lying around. Then she would touch up the paint on the railings and secure any loose floorboards. Between each task, she would stop and close her eyes, as if to meditate. Sometimes, she would open them and say something to "Merry-san" but otherwise, she would just smile and proceed to the next task at hand. Even before they had left the desert island, Robin had already concluded that the first mate had some special connection with the ship. She had also learned fairly quickly that there was no point in offering to help out. The first mate would always insist on doing it herself. The little pirate took great pride in her work. That was very clear.

The first mate would clean until it was time for lunch. Usually, by then, the whole crew was awake. The swordsman would be working out, the cook back in his kitchen, the navigator sunbathing near her tangerine trees, and the boys would be in the midst of whatever game they had recently created.

After lunch, Robin would read a book while watching the antics of the group from the corner of the pages. This would go on past dinner and until it was bed time. Then, the archaeologist would get up and do it all over again. Rarely was there a disruption in her routine and even then it would be that boys got into a bit of trouble with the cook, the swordsman, or even the navigator. However, Robin was truly surprised when suddenly she found herself to be the center of attention.

"I'm sorry?" Robin asked the reindeer, who was blinking up at her expectantly from beside her chair.

"Bonding. Have you bonded with Emmy yet?"

"Bonding?" Robin repeated. She set her book down on her lap and looked curiously at the reindeer, the sniper, the captain, the navigator, and finally the swordsman. Each of them had a shared expectant expression, "What is that?"

"See?! I told you!" Nami said triumphantly while both the sniper, swordsman, and Chopper slumped their shoulders in defeat, "She hasn't bonded yet with Robin. I win! Pay up!"

"Yeah. That's right! Pay up!" Luffy cheered and the navigator rolled her eyes.

"Luffy. You didn't bet anything. There's nothing for them to pay you."

"Yes, I did," Luffy insisted, "I bet three extillion bellis!"

"That's not a real number!" Nami snapped.

"Fine. I'll bet five bellis."

"Luffy, you can't bet now. The bet is over," Usopp pointed out.

"Yeah! I won. So pay up!" Luffy cheered.

"Nami-swan. Robin-chwan!" Sanji sang out and interrupted his crew members from their gambling fiasco. He danced out onto the deck with a tray of tea and cakes balanced on his hands, "Afternoon tea is ready."

"Ah...Thank you, cook-san," Robin said as he placed his trays on the table in front of her, "Should I ask the little pirate to join us this time for afternoon tea?"

"Robin-chan! You are as gracious as you are-" Sanji started to gush but was pushed to the side by the navigator, who quickly sat herself in the chair opposite of Robin and helped herself to a cake.

"Don't bother asking her. The prude doesn't like to eat sweet things and she doesn't drink red tea," Nami said with her mouthful.

"I brought Emmy-chan green tea and dried seaweed for her snack today," Sanji said and then glared at his male nakama, "Oy! You guys! Emmy is downstairs and neck deep in patching up all of your clothes. What the hell were you thinking getting your shirts and pants torn like that? Be more mindful next time you guys fight!"

"I was against a Dice-Dice Fruit user whose whole body was made of blades and last time I checked, your clothes are in the mending pile too!" Zoro shouted and stormed over to the cook, "Don't put all the blame on us, you creepy cook."

"Huh?! Wanna fight, moss head?!" Sanji countered and grabbed Zoro's collar with his fist.

"Feel Feel Pull!"

"Ow. Ow. Ow!" the swordsman and cook yelped as they got pulled in opposite directions by their ear.

"Please don't fight. It'll give Robin the impression that you two don't like each other," Emmy tsked as she walked out from the deck below with Chopper's newly-mended backpack in hand.

"But I don't like him," Zoro muttered under his breath.

"Sorry for causing you trouble, Emmy-chan," Sanji said as he rubbed his ear.

"Oy! Emmy, Robin said you two didn't bond yet. Why not?" Luffy asked as Emmy returned the backpack to it's rightful owner.

Emmy smiled at the captain. "It's not time yet."

"What is bonding?" Robin asked again.

"My power, you see,-" Emmy started to explain.

"Eh? Is it raining?" Zoro suddenly asked and he stuck out his palm to potentially catch what got his attention.

"Raining?" Nami gasped and looked up at the sky, "But there was no change in pressure and I don't see any rain clouds...Wait...this isn't rain!"

Her hand went over her eyes to shield them from the dirt and debris from the sky.

"What is this? Hail?" Usopp yelled as he fitted his goggles onto his head. The debris got bigger and bigger until small flecks of wood were dropping down onto the deck. The sniper looked up at the sky too, "AHHH! What is that?!"

"WHAT?!" the entire crew shrieked when they saw a large overturned ship break through the cloud above and fall downwards towards the sea. It crashed down into the water, miraculously missing the Going Merry, and created mountain-like waves that rolled as far as the eyes could see.

The pirates clung to whatever they could to balance themselves from the violently swaying ship while the debris rain escalated to not just rubble but also shards of broken wooden planks, pieces of furniture, and skeletons.

"B-B-Bones!" Usopp shrieked when an old skull bounced right in front of his feet. The sniper instinctively jumped back and kicked the skull away from him, which happened to be in the direction of the navigator.

"AHHH! Don't give it to me!" Nami cried and swatted it right into the open hand of the archaeologist, who had numerous arms sprouted around the deck and holding onto herself, the first mate, the captain, the cook, and the doctor.

"Hrm...Looks like this person has been dead for hundreds of years," Robin said calmly and then looked over at the reindeer, "Don't you agree?"

"Ah! What's happening? What's happening?!" Chopper yelled with his eyes squeezed shut and all four limbs clinging to Robin's arm.

Robin shrugged and tossed the skull over the side of the ship. She waited with the others for the sea to calm down and the last piece of the wreckage to fall from the heavens. It took several minutes and by the time it was over, her new companions were all completely bewildered by the ordeal.

"Why the heck did a ship fall from the sky?" Luffy demanded at no one in particular.

"Thank you so much, Robin," Emmy said with a bow as the last of Robin's arms disappeared amongst a flurry of petals.

"You are very welcome," Robin replied.

"The Grand Line is a crazy place. The Grand Line is a crazy place," Usopp shivered. The sniper rolled himself into a tight ball and rocked himself back and forth as he chanted, "The Grand Line is a crazy place. The Grand Line is a crazy-"

"AHHH!"

Nami's shriek made Usopp freeze in mid-chant and his face went pale. "What? What now?!" he cried.

The navigator stood with her Log Pose just inches away from her nose and one hand on her hip.

"What's wrong, Nami-san?" Sanji asked.

"Our Log Pose is broken!" Nami said, "What are we going to do?"

"Broken?!" the crew gasped as they gathered around the navigator to see what she meant. Inside the glass orb, the compass was sticking right up towards the sky and tapping gingerly against the glass.

"That's not it," Robin said calmly, "It was updated by an island with a stronger magnetism. That's all. If the needle is pointing upwards, it must mean the log has been caught by a sky island."

"Sky island?!" the pirates cried while the captain's eyes widened and he grinned from ear to ear.

"A floating island?!" he exclaimed, "Emmy! You hear that?! There's an island in the sky!"

"Yeah," Usopp wailed, "With bones and ships falling down from there!"

"But I can't see anything like an island in the sky," Zoro pointed out with a frown.

"No," Robin corrected, "To be precise, a sea is what is floating up in the sky."

"A sea?!" Emmy said breathlessly, "Have you been there before, Robin? Is that how you know?"

"I read about it in a book," Robin replied, "There have been some mentionings of it from old pirate logs but it's never been verified so it's been deemed as a myth. Frankly, I've never been to a sky island nor do I know much about it."

"A book…" Emmy said and then looked around the deck where the archaeologist's usually carefully stacked books laid strewn about after the collision, "You read a lot, Robin. Do you enjoy it?"

Robin smiled. "I love books."

"Yosh! We're going up to the sky! Turn the rudder up!" Luffy cheered as he grabbed Usopp by the elbow and started to dance in circles with the sniper, "Rudder up! Rudder up!"

"Idiots! The rudder doesn't turn that way!" Sanji snapped.

"Besides, didn't you hear what Robin said? It's deemed as a myth! It's impossible for an island or even a sea to float in the air!" Nami added, "Like I said. The Log Pose is broken!"

"No, Navigator," Robin insisted, "Our concern right now should not be on the Log Pose. It should be on how to get our ship to the sky. No matter what weird situation the ship is in or how panicked we get, we must not doubt the Log Pose. That is the ironclad rule of navigating on the Grand Line. There's definitely an island that it's pointing to."

"YAYYY!" Luffy exclaimed, "We're going to Sky Island!"


	68. I am Busy Learning

Emmy watched with utmost fascination while Robin meticulously pieced together the skull of a fractured skeleton they found in a coffin from the wreckage. It had floated up and was about to sail right by the Going Merry if the archaeologist had been less newest member had insisted it be brought up to sift through and even though they couldn't understand why, the cook and the first mate were happy to oblige. The swordsman and the doctor were not as convinced that this was a good thing.

"What's that woman doing? Opening the coffin?" Chopper hissed from his hiding place behind the mast.

"Tch. What can you possibly learn from that?" Zoro scoffed.

"I don't know," Robin admitted without looking up from her project.

"You've got strange interests," Nami commented as she walked around the deck for the upteenth time while staring at the Log Pose, hoping it would sort itself out.

"A pretty woman and the dead. Now that's an interesting combination," Sanji said while meticulously placing pieces of broken bone next to Robin for her to sort out.

Emmy tilted her head to the side while she watched Robin work on her puzzle. "Is this arkonomy?"

"Archeology," Robin corrected with a small smile, "And yes, it is. I am hoping to learn more about this person's history once I put everything together."

"Oh, I see," Emmy breathed.

"OY! Emmy! Come look!" Luffy called out from the side of the ship.

"Eh?" Zoro went over to the railing and saw that the captain and the sniper had left their ship and were leaping across the surfaced part of the wreckage towards what remained of the galleon's stern.

"Emmy!" Luffy cried and waved his arms.

Emmy got up, poked her head over the side of the ship and she smiled apologetically. "I can't come right now. I am busy learning history but you go ahead. Have fun but be careful! Don't fall into the water."

Luffy and Usopp pouted as they watched her walk away. "Boo."

"What are they even doing?" Zoro asked.

"'Exploration' is what they said," Chopper reported.

"Just in time, Emmy-chan," Sanji said when Emmy returned to her spot next to Robin, "The restoration is complete."

Robin set down completed finished skull and she pointed at two clean holes near the back of it. They were the size of small coins. "The holes here are man-made. Do you see that?"

"Oh...so then this guy was pierced there and died, huh?" Sanji asked.

"No," Robin said, "These are indications of medical treatments. It's called craterization. Isn't it, Doctor?"

Chopper nodded. "Yeah. In the past, they made holes in the skull in order to constrain a brain tumor but that's a medical technique from very long ago."

"That's right," Robin said, "It's just like the other skull I saw before but with this one, we can know for sure that it's been at least 200 years since he died. On closer inspection, I can tell that he was in his early 30s. He fell sick while traveling on the sea and died. The reason his teeth remained in good condition compared to his other bones is because tar was rubbed on them while he was alive. This custom is characteristic of some areas in the South Blue before the invention of toothpaste. We can safely assume that he came from an exploration party from there."

She looked up and smiled at the first mate. "Would you mind getting that blue book behind you, little pirate?"

Emmy blinked and slowly turned. "The blue book behind...Oh. This one?"

She picked up a thick, square book with a title she could not even begin to pronounce and she handed it to Robin, who efficiently flipped to a specific page that had a picture of a ship, bearing a mast identical to the one currently floating in the water beside them.

"Here it is," Robin said, "The 'St. Briss' of Briss, a kingdom in the South Blue. It set sail 208 years ago."

"You can tell all of this just by looking at it's bones?" Nami asked. Even she couldn't help but be impressed by Robin's deductions.

"Dead people may not speak, but they do hold information," Robin said, "If the ship was an exploration party, it should still hold various records and evidence."

"Yeah but the entire ship is now underwater," Nami said with a quick glance up at the water, "See? There's nothing out there any more."

Emmy gasped and leapt to her feet. "Luffy!" she cried out as she watched Usopp swim back while dragging the waterlogged captain by the collar.

"He's okay. I got him," Usopp gasped when he got on board and started to pump out the water in Luffy's stomach with hard presses.

When the captain came to, he leapt to his soggy feet and grinned at his crew. "Hey, everyone!" he cried, completely oblivious to his near death experience, "I did it! I found something incredible. Look at this!"

He pulled out a rolled up scroll from his back pocket and unfurled it for all to see. Everyone's eyes widened when they saw the almost faded ink marks against the browned paper. It was a map of an island situated in a sea of clouds. The word "SKYPIEA" was inked with a flourish at the top of the paper.

"Is that a map of the sky island?!" Nami gasped as she took it from Luffy's care. The captain was more than happy to relinquish his newfound treasure so that he could dance and cheer about with the sniper and the doctor.

"Sky island exists! Sky island exists!" they chorused.

"Don't get carried away. This just means there MIGHT be a sky island," Nami lectured, "There are tons of fake maps out there."

The devastation that befell the dancing troupe was immediate and they stared at Nami with darkened eyes and frowns that extended to their jawline.

"Er...sorry. It exists! I'm sure it exists!" Nami quickly corrected, "But...we still don't know how to get there."

"Well, you're the navigator and you have the map. What's the problem?" Luffy asked immediately.

That lit a fire on the navigator and she glared at the captain. "Oy! We don't have enough information. I only have a map of the actual island. It's not a map on how to get there!"

"I don't care!" Luffy said stubbornly, "I wanna go so let's go!"

"Luffy! Please!" Emmy exclaimed as she positioned herself between the navigator and the captain, "Nami's not saying we can't go there ever...we just can't go now. We need more information, that's all."

"There must be more records on the ship," Robin said.

"But the ship is completely sunk," Usopp pointed out.

Nami narrowed her eyes and she clenched her fist. "If it sank, then we'll salvage it!"

"Alright!" Usopp and Luffy cheered. They made a grab for their fishing pole and net.

"As if we could!" Zoro snapped.

"What's salvage?" Chopper asked Emmy, who could only shake her head at him. They shared a confused look and then glanced over at Robin, who smiled.

"It means to pull up a sunken ship," she said, "But it won't work, since that ship is too big."

"Hehe...If it can't come up, then we go down!" Usopp chuckled and then stuck his nose in the air, "Have no fear! The great inventor Usopp has just the thing. Give me a couple minutes and I'll have everything ready. Emmy, is it cool if I use some of those empty water barrels downstairs in the storage area?"

"Of course," Emmy said.

As Usopp scurried downstairs with Luffy excitedly following behind him, Emmy went over to the archaeologist and pointed at the book she still held in her hands. "Did you learn all of that...in this book?"

"All of what?" Robin asked.

"How to identify the skull...Where the holes came from...The ship…," Emmy said.

Robin chuckled and closed the book for Emmy to see the front cover. "That information came from several different books. This book only pertains to old exploration ships from the East and South Blue. See?"

Emmy frowned at the glittering gold letters embedded in the hard book cover. "Con...Con..ques..tudors..." she said slowly as she tried to pronounce the word.

"Conquistadors," Robin corrected, "It means conquerors."

"Conquistadors," Emmy said carefully, "And the Age of...Ex...exploration?"

She looked up at Robin, who smiled encouragingly. "Yes, that's right and see that symbol on the spine? That means this book is Volume 1 of 2. The second book is about exploration ships from the North and West Blue. It's a much thinner book since there are less information about the ships from that part of the world."

"You've read that book too?" Emmy asked, "Robin...How many books  _have_  you read?"

"I've lost count," Robin chuckled.

"I wish I could read like you," Emmy admitted shyly and wrung her hands together, "It takes me hours just to get through a short article in the newspaper. Dadan-san says it's not really an important skill to have and my level is good enough to get me by but still…"

"If you'd like, I'd be happy to teach you," Robin said.

"Really?" Emmy asked and her eyes glittered with excitement, "I can read this book?"

Robin's smile grew just a bit wider. "Maybe not this one just yet. I would say we would need to start a bit simpler. We'll look for a book in the next island we get to. Hopefully, they'll have a bookstore."

"Oh...," Emmy breathed and she put her hands to her face, "My very own book."

_Thud! Thud! Thud!_

"Here we go!" Usopp shouted victoriously as he and Luffy barged on to the deck and placed three heavy barrels down on the floor. Each of the barrels had a circular window at the front and a hose attached to the top. Rubber sleeves attached to rubber gloves extended out from the sides. One of the barrels was actually two barrels stacked on top of one another and stood much taller than the rest, "Alright. These two are for Sanji and Zoro. This one is-"

"This one's for me!" Luffy cheered as he quickly opened the top of the tallest barrel and jumped right in. He slammed the top down and Usopp locked the top in with some tight hinges he secured around the rim.

"Oy...Who says I'm going?" Zoro scowled.

"This looks flimsy as hell. There's no way I'm getting in that," Sanji agreed as he knocked the barrel closest to him with his heel.

"Sanji! Zoro! Get in! You two can keep an eye on Luffy while he's down there," Nami lectured.

"Yes, Nami-swan!" Sanji sang and jumped into his barrel, which had two holes in the bottom for his legs to stick out of.

"Idiot," Zoro scoffed and stayed stonily with his arms crossed and his feet firmly to his spot on the deck.

"That's fine," Luffy said with a grin, "Shishishi. Emmy, grab a barrel. Let's-"

Zoro let out a long, strangled groan. "Arrrgh. Fine! I'll come. Better to have only one Devil Fruit user go underwater than two," he said and begrudgingly climbed into his own barrel before Usopp could even think about modifying the contraption for Emmy, "This is ridiculous. Are you sure this will work, Usopp?"

"Worry not! There are no defects in my design," Usopp said as he attached the three hoses to a rope pulley and a funnel that would act as both a communication device and an air pump.

"We're counting on you," Nami said with a grin.

"Please be careful," Emmy instructed.

They lowered the three into the water with Chopper manning the brakes to the pulley in his Heavy Point. Emmy watched with bated breath over the side of the ship. The shadows of the three got smaller and smaller until there was nothing to see but three straight hoses stretching into the water. There weren't even any air bubbles surfacing.

"This is Chopper. Everyone, please respond," Chopper said from the pulley system.

"This is Luffy. There're tons of monsters down here, over," Luffy's voice reported excitedly from the funnel.

"Is this a giant sea snakes' nest?" Zoro asked from his funnel.

"This is Sanji. Thank god Emmy-chan didn't come down here. If they're going to eat someone, it might as well be the shitty swordsman and - Whoa! They looked this way!" Sanji cried.

"Okay. Everything seems good," Nami said with a thumbs up to the people left on deck.

"Does it?!" Usopp snapped back.

"Sanji! Zoro! Don't fight," Emmy scolded while still looking over the railing, "Remember, you're down there to find clues to sky island and to grab Luffy in case anything happens to his barrel."

"Yes, Emmy-chwannnn!"

"Alright. Alright."

"Shishishi. It's so cool down here! Emmy, you really should've come with me. You should see all of this!"

"Chopper, hold the brake tight, okay?" Nami instructed.

"Okay!" Chopper agreed dutifully holding the pulley firmly in his hands.

The pirates on the deck kept their eyes glued to the funnels and hoses for any sudden movements or any signs of a discovery. For a long time, all they heard were the occasional mutterings from the cook, cursings from the swordsman, and light singing from the captain. The experienced archaeologist didn't expect much to be found but she didn't voice that to her new peers. They all seemed quite excited and hopeful of what's to come and even though her time with them has been quite short, she knew that around this crowd that she should expect the unexpected. Because of this mental preparation, she was the least surprised when they suddenly heard a distant chanting that got louder and louder by the second.

"Salvage! Salvage!"

"Eh?!" Chopper gasped while Usopp moved one of his goggles over his eyes to get a better look.

"What the heck is that?" he asked.

"Salvage! Salvage!"

The chanting was loud enough now for the pirates to hear the words being accompanied by rhythmic blasts of a whistle, clashes of cymbals, and deep beats from drums. From the horizon, a ship appeared and it casted a dark shadow over the Merry when it stopped right next to her. The ship was a galleon and had a wooden monkey as it's masthead. The monkey had large metal cymbals in its hand and there were two ropes attached to the pulley on its head. The ropes were tied to the tops of two wooden constructs in the shape of large banana bunches that flanked the masthead. On the mast itself, a gorilla face was painted at the front with two bananas crossed behind it.

The passengers on the ship were lined all along the deck with cymbals in their own hands and they clang them together after every cry of "Salvage!". Suddenly, the whistling stopped and a booming voice shouted, "Company! Halt!"

"Aye, aye, sir!" the passengers cried and lowered their cymbals.

"Is this where the ship sank!?" their leader cried.

"Aye, aye, sir!"

"Prepare to salvage the ship!"

"Aye, aye, boss!"

"Oh dear," Emmy whispered and smoothed her hands over her apron, "Do you think they spotted us?"

"And by 'boss', they mean me!" the leader shouted and then he stood on the railing at the front of the ship for all to see, "All sunken ships in this territory belong to me, the king of salvaging! The captain of the Masira Pirates! Ooo-kikiki!"

What stood before Emmy completely astounded her. What she saw was a gorilla in yellow overalls with headphones and goggles on his head yet the last time she checked, gorillas couldn't talk, let alone captaining a ship.

"Ugh, I guess that answers your question," Nami sighed and put her hands on her hips, "Of course we'd run into weirdos at a time like this."

"Hey, you! What're you guys doing here? This is my turf!" the gorilla captain shouted.

" _You're_  turf?" Nami asked.

"That's right. Every ship that sinks in this territory belongs to me," he replied and then furrowed his brow, "You haven't touched anything that's mine, have you, huh?!"

Robin crossed her arms. "Looks like he's after the same ship we are," she said under her breath, "Best not let him realize that."

"Why not? Doesn't this work for us?" Nami asked.

"Quit mumbling!" the gorilla cried, "Answer my question!"

Emmy stepped forward and she bowed her head before Nami or anyone else could get in a word. "Pleased to meet you, Captain of the Masira Pirates. I am Monkey D. Emmy, the first mate of this ship."

"Oooh! Monkey? That's a 'monkeyful' name. Ooo-kikiki! I like that name," he laughed.

"Monkeyful?" Nami repeated.

"That means 'handsome', like me! Don't you find me monkeyful?"

"Yes," Emmy answered truthfully, "You are the most monkeyful person I've ever met."

"Oh, come on, stop it," the monkeyful captain said with a blush.

"That's not even a real word," Usopp muttered and rolled his eyes. He kept his foot discreetly on the pedal and he continued to deliver air to the ones below as he shouted back to the newcomers, "Are you really going to salvage the ship?"

"Of course. If there's a sunken ship in front of me, I'll salvage it. If there's a ship in front of me, I'll sink it and then salvage it. There's no ship that we can't salvage! Ooo-kikiki!" the monkeyful man exclaimed proudly.

"Then...is it okay if we watch you do it?" Nami called out.

"Hm? Oh, I see. Is salvaging work new to you?" he asked, "Okay. Go ahead and observe!"

"Alright," Nami breathed, "Everyone, let's just lay low for now and see what happens."

"But what about Luffy and the others?" Emmy whispered back.

"They'll be able to take care of themselves," Nami replied, "I'm more worried that they'll do something stupid."

"Boss! Bad news!" someone called out from the ship and Nami's heart sank to her stomach.

"Don't tell me…," she groaned.

"The members who went into the sea to set the cradle are heavily injured!" the salvager reported, "Looks like someone beat them up!"

"What?! Are you saying there's someone down there in the sea?" the monkeyful captain roared.

"Oh dear," Emmy stated.

"Hey, you guys!" the gorilla man shouted, "There's somebody down there already. Be careful!"

"Eh?!" Emmy breathed while the navigator took this all in stride.

"Okay! Thanks for the warning," Nami said with a bright smile and gave him a small wave.

"Thank god he's an idiot," Usopp whispered while the rest of the pirates nodded in agreement.

"Guys, setup the cradle and let's salvage the ship!" the gorilla man ordered.

"Aye, aye, boss!"


	69. I am Waiting For Her Trust

"Boss! Boss! Boss!"

"What is that?! A continent?!"

"Emmy! TAME IT! Befriend it before it swallows up Luffy and the others!"

Emmy ignored the frantic cries of the scavengers, Nami, and Usopp. She wasn't even looking at the giant turtle that had suddenly surfaced in front of them. There were bits of wood and the long air supply hoses attached to both the Going Merry and the scavenger ships stuck out of the turtle's massive jaws.

Instead, the first mate's eyes were squeezed shut and she concentrated on her bonds. Maybe it was because the guys might still be submerged in seawater or maybe because they didn't escape and were trapped in the turtle's mouth; either way, Emmy could not feel a thing from the captain, swordsman, or cook and it was freaking her out.

Her fists clenched so tightly at her side that her hands were white. They only loosened when she found herself tilting forward involuntarily. She opened her eyes and stepped one foot forward instinctively to keep her balance while the entire ship continued to tip further and further to one side. "What? What is happening?!"

"We need to cut the hoses," Robin said calmly as she pointed at the taut hoses that was gradually getting pulled closer and closer to the turtle with every forceful chomp, "Otherwise, we'll be dragged into the depths of the ocean with the ship."

"Nooooo!" Chopper and Nami screeched.

"Robin! Emmy! Use your devil fruit powers. Do something!" Usopp cried.

"I can't. That thing is too big," Robin said.

"I could barely tame a bananagator and that turtle is a million times bigger than one," Emmy gulped as she wrung her hands. The panic rising within herself and her bonds were getting out of hand and she was finding it a little hard to breathe.

Suddenly, the skies darkened overhead as if a large blanket was dropped over the sun, stifling it's light.

"What?! What's going on now?!" Usopp wailed, "Why is it suddenly night?!"

Nami whipped out a watch from her pocket and she checked the time. "Can't be...It's not that late yet."

Usopp smacked his hands to his face, covering his ears, and he slammed his eyes shut. "I can't take anymore. Luffy! Zoro! Sanji!"

_Thud!_

"Little Pirate!" Robin gasped as Emmy fell on her knees with her hand on her chest. The archaeologist ran to her side and put an arm over her shoulder, "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"I...I can't breathe...I…" Emmy wheezed out between short and shallow breaths, "I...I can't…"

"Ah! Emmy! What's happening to Emmy?!" Chopper exclaimed, which only sped up Emmy's breathing.

_Splash! Thud!_

"EH?!"

The panic in the air was smacked out of the air and replaced by sheer surprise when the captain randomly flew out of the water and back onto the deck wrapped in thick layers of fabric. His drenched straw hat rolled flimsily across the floor as his head and legs dangled out of his encaseming.

"Luffy!" Chopper, Nami, and Usopp shouted. Nami ran to the captain.

Emmy's lungs and throat released at once. She coughed and gasped for air while letting out a small relieved smile. "He's okay...They're okay…"

"Breathe...Just breathe, Little Pirate," Robin said as she gently rubbed circles on Emmy's back.

"Luffy! Are you dead? Wake up!" Nami demanded as she continuously slapped the rubber boy without any restraint.

The cook and swordsman swam out of the water and simultaneously jumped onto the deck with large cloth sacks over each of their shoulders.

"Set sail! Hurry up and get out of here," Zoro growled.

"I'm so glad you guys are safe! Yeah! Let's get away from that turtle," Usopp agreed fervently.

Zoro tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. "Turtle? What turtle? I'm talking about a monkey. There was a monkey in the sea!"

"He must be one of the sea animals," Sanji agreed. His eyes fell on the archaeologist still tending to the first mate, "Emmy-chan! What happened? Don't tell me that monkey did something to you! That bastard. I'll turn him into gorilla soup!"

"Oh! That's Masira. He's a salvager. He didn't do anything to Emmy. She was freaked out when the turtle came. We all were, honestly. We thought you guys were eaten!" Usopp explained.

"Must've been our bonds," Nami said with a roll of her eyes, "We must've all lost our cool."

"Turtle? What turtle?" Zoro asked.

"That turtle," Usopp said and pointed right behind the swordsman and the cook, "Oh look! It's mouth is opened. OHHH! That's how you guys escaped. You jumped out of its mouth and swam over here. Didn't you?"

"Eh?"

Zoro and Sanji turned to see what the sniper was talking about and they both took a couple steps back.

"Whoa! What the hell is that?!" they exclaimed.

"What?! You didn't notice that thing eating you and the ship?!" Usopp asked exasperatedly.

"Either way we need to get the hell out of here!" Nami shouted, finally pausing in her beatdown, "This sky is acting strange and I don't want to stick around and see if the turtle has any buddies. Zoro! Get the sails and Usopp, raise the anchor!"

Emmy turned to Robin and gave her a small smile. "I'm sorry, Robin. I didn't mean to scare you. I'm okay now."

The first mate felt a jolt of shock from the archaeologist but was surprised to see that Robin's face remained calm and unmoving. "Not a problem."

Robin helped Emmy to her feet and was amused to see that the captain had come to and was staring curiously up at the sky.

"Eh?" Luffy asked, "It's night time already? Yosh. SANJI! Dinner! I'm hungry!"

"Do you want dinner because you think it's night time or do you want dinner because you are actually hungry?" Sanji snapped back.

"Yep!"

"That doesn't answer my question!"

"HOLD IT, YOU JERKS!"

With a heavy crash, Masira, the monkey scavenger, stood on the railings and glared at the pirates, "Don't think you can get away after stealing treasure from my turf!"

Nami's eyes glistened and her hands clasped together excitedly. "Treasure?! There was treasure?!"

Luffy's smile stretched to his ears. "Yep! Shishishi. There was a lot!"

Emmy frowned at the rickety railing that was already beginning to bend under the weight of the new passenger. She could sense the concern rising in both the swordsman and the cook's bonds so she had a guess on why that was. This gorilla man was not someone they wanted to fight, at least on their own ship.

She smoothed her apron and gave a bow. "Welcome to our ship. We didn't know it was your turf. We are very sorry. Maybe if we gave you half of what we-" she started to say.

"Oy! We are not giving him anything!" Nami interrupted tersely, "The treasure is ours!"

"B-B-B-Boss! Behind you!" Masira's men shouted out with strangled breath.

"Eh?"

The pirates and Masira turned to look at what was causing the scavengers' alarm and suddenly, the panic and fear Emmy felt before paled in comparison to what swept across the entire deck. Silhouettes of creatures taller than any mountain Emmy had ever seen lined across the horizon. They had wings on their backs and long, sharp weapons in hand. They loomed over the sea and casted a dark shadow over both ships. Tears streamed down Usopp's face while beads of sweat trickled down Zoro's neck and back. Luffy took a more vocal approach.

"MONSTERS!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Screw the sails! GET THE OARS!" Nami shrieked.

Emmy stood like a statue, her feet frozen to the floor, as everyone else grabbed an oar and rowed the Merry away at a monstrous pace. Even a forceful hurricane could not have pushed the ship as fast as the pace of the pirates. They didn't care which direction they went, as long as it was opposite of the monsters. They didn't stop until the light had returned to the sky and no shadows, no matter how small, could be seen on the horizon.

"No way…" Zoro grunted as he slumped over the oars and rested his head on his knees, "No way can a person be that big."

Sanji wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his sleeve and then slowly lit a cigarette. "Man," he exhaled, "The Grand Line is just one mystery after another...Especially today..."

"First, we saw a huge galleon fall from the sky," Zoro said.

"We found a man, who died 208 years ago," Emmy whispered.

"The needle of the Log Pose started pointing to the sky," Nami added.

"A weird monkey appeared and salvaged the ship," Usopp continued.

"Then, we saw a huge turtle that ate the whole ship," Chopper sighed.

"Then, night came," Robin said as she rested her head on her hand.

"And then we saw huge monsters who were dozens of times larger than Giants!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Yeah," came a low growl, "Those guys scared even me."

The pirates nodded in agreement and then they all straightened up. "Huh?!"

Their attention whipped towards Masira, who was sitting amongst them with his knees tucked to his burly chest. Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji leapt to their feet.

"Beat it!" they exclaimed as they kicked the gorilla man right off of their ship.

"Ah!" Emmy gasped as she watched him become a twinkle in the sky,"...Well...I guess he wasn't technically a guest anyways…"

Nami clapped her hands and got to her feet. "Now that that's over, it's time to get to the important stuff. Treasure!"

"Actually, Nami-san," Sanji started to warn but the navigator was too excited to pay him any mind.

She gave a small hop in the air and pranced towards the three sacks of treasure the guys had salvaged and she hurriedly unwrapped the bundles. "OH MY GOD!"

"What?!" Usopp and Chopper asked as they ran over to her, "Did they get something good?!"

"It's all junk!" Nami wailed as her eyes swept over the rusted and barnacle covered objects strewn about her feet. She planted her hands on her hips and she looked admonishingly at the guys, "Are you kidding me? All of these look worthless and there aren't even any clues on how to get to the sky!"

"What are you talking about?" Luffy said as he reached over and grabbed an almost crumbling suit of armor from the pile, "This stuff is great!"

He pulled the armor over his head and then slammed the matching helmet over it, "Look! Emmy! I'm a knight!"

"Woo," Emmy said as Luffy stomped in circles around her with a sword held in front of his face.

"Stop fooling around!" Nami seethed.

"Nami-san," Sanji tried again, "It was clear that the ship had already been plundered by the time we got there. There actually wasn't much we could bring back up."

"Really? This is all you could find? Not even some sort of information we can use?!" Nami demanded, "If we end up in the sky, we could end up like that ship, you know!"

"All there was is what we brought up. Everything else broke at a mere touch!" Zoro said and crossed his arms over his chest, "This is all we've got to work with. Deal with it."

"B-But I got you pretty shells," Sanji crooned as he pulled out fistfuls of purple and pink shells from his pocket.

"Don't want it!" Nami fumed as she stormed off to the back of the ship, where Robin was now perched.

"Having a tough time?" she asked.

"It's only gonna get worse. Really. They're all a bunch of idiots. WIthout a journal or a sea chart, we can't get to our destination," Nami moaned.

Robin smiled and took Nami's hand. "Here," she said and placed something heavy in her palm.

"What?" Nami gasped when the archaeologist lifted her hand away, "An Eternal Pose?! Jaya?-"

"I took it from those monkey people's ship earlier. Just in case…" Robin said with a wink.

Nami bit her lip and her eyes welled up. "Only you are on my side, Robin."

Robin chuckled. "Must be tough for you here."

Nami nodded. "It really is."

"What? What's that?" Luffy asked as he clamored over to Nami. He lifted up the creaky visor to his helmet and looked over the navigator's shoulder, "Jaya? Are we going somewhere?"

"That's your decision, you idiot!" Nami snapped, "And what are you doing in that stupid thing anyway?!"

_Thwack!_

With one hard punch, she sent the captain flying across the deck with bits of armor breaking apart and flinging every which way.

"Wow! She broke it with just one punch," Zoro couldn't help but marvel while Emmy ran to the captain.

"Luffy! Are you okay?!"

"Shishishi." Luffy jumped to his feet and thrust his arms out into the air, "Yosh! Let's head to Jaya!'

"Wait...but if we go to Jaya, doesn't that mean our Log Pose will not point at sky island anymore?" USopp asked.

"Oh, right! STOP! We are not heading to Jaya!" Luffy shouted and then he glared at Nami, "Oy! Nami. What's the deal?"

"You said we were going to Jaya, not me. You decided," Nami said with a dismissive wave.

"Oh yeah...but I want to go to sky island!" Luffy huffed.

"How? We don't know how to get there," Nami pointed out.

"We can always ask someone," Emmy suggested.

"Oh. Let's ask in Jaya then," Luffy said.

"Okay. So we're going to Jaya," Nami confirmed.

"Yosh! Let's head to Jaya!" Luffy shouted.

"Stop going around in circles!" Usopp exclaimed as he punched the captain in the head.

"It's not as if a log can be stored as soon we get there," Robin reminded, "So why don't we go to Jaya and leave before the next log gets stored?"

"I guess we'll need some luck," Nami sighed.

"Alright! To Jaya! For real this time!" Luffy cheered.

As the navigator ordered the swordsman, sniper, and captain around to steer the ship to their destination, the doctor went over to the first mate and he set his backpack down at his feet.

"Emmy," he said solemnly and motioned for her to crouch down so that they were eye level.

"Hmm?"

Chopper reached into his backpack and pulled out a stethoscope. He fitted it to his ears. "Do you mind if I examine you? I just want to make sure you're okay."

"What? What's going on?" Sanji asked as he emerged from the kitchen with a plate of snacks in hand, "Emmy-chan? Are you ill?!"

"Ignore her, Chopper," Nami sighed, "Like I said earlier, we all lost our cool when that turtle showed up so our bonds must've broken with Emmy or something."

"Nami is right," Emmy said with an apologetic smile, "I wasn't able to feel Luffy and the others' bonds because they were in the turtle's mouth. At the time the only bonds I had were you, Nami, and Usopp...So when all three of you panicked…"

"Okay. I'd still like to check, if that's alright. After all, your well being is my responsibility," Chopper said as he lifted the end of the stethoscope to Emmy's lungs, "Can you take a deep breath for me?"

Emmy drew in a slow breath.

"What is this bond you all seem to have?," Robin asked. She sauntered over to them and sat next to Chopper.

"It's part of Emmy-chan's power," Sanji explained. He handed Robin a small finger sandwich while Chopper continued his examination, "It's...how do we explain this? Hrmm...it's...an emotional connection we have with her that acts somewhat of a protective barrier from everyone else's emotions...From the looks of things, the effectiveness of our bonds depend on our emotional stability."

"If only one of us stayed calm during the whole thing, maybe you wouldn't have panicked that badly," Chopper said.

"But one of us did," Nami said as she looked up from the Eternal Pose and blinked at the newest member, "Robin...you were pretty level headed. Oy! Prude. You would've been fine if you had bonded with Robin."

"Why haven't you bonded with Robin yet, Emmy-chan?" Sanji asked out of genuine curiosity.

Emmy looked over at Robin and she stared at the archaeologist just long enough for Robin to know that the first mate was studying her in some way. "It's not time yet."

"Eh?" Sanji and Chopper asked while Emmy turned her attention to the doctor.

"Is it okay if I leave now? There's some more clothes I'd like to mend before we get to Jaya," Emmy asked.

"Y-Yeah," Chopper said as he put away his stethoscope, "Everything seems fine. You're good to go."

Emmy got to her feet and she gave a small bow to the pirates before heading off to the boys' quarters. It wasn't long until she was joined by the swordsman.

"Why haven't you bonded with Robin?" he asked, "Is there something about her you're hiding from us?"

"No," Emmy said without looking up from her work, "I just know it's not time yet."

"What do you mean? You bonded with Chopper the second day he was on this ship. Robin's been with us for almost a week now."

Emmy set down Luffy's shirt and she locked eyes with Zoro. "Stop being so suspicious of Robin," she stated firmly, "You are not helping things at all."

"What do you mean?" Zoro asked exasperatedly, "Are you saying the reason why you haven't bonded with Robin is because of  _me_?"

"Well...partially," Emmy sighed as she returned to Luffy's shirt, "Not entirely."

_Whack!_

Zoro's hand smooshed the fabric back down onto the table, forcing the first mate to pay attention to him. "Spit it out, Emmy. If you want me to trust Robin, you need to tell me why you haven't bonded with her. What's holding you back?"

Emmy blinked at him and then she broke eye contact to look down at her lap. "Trust works both ways, Zoro, and it is key to any friendship. Bond or no bond."

"Meaning?" Zoro pressed.

"I can't bond with her until she fully trusts us...trusts me…," Emmy said, "Being bonded to you all means I'm connected to everyone all the time. I feel your emotions as immediate as feeling my own. It is...a privacy that could only be shared if the trust is mutual. I'm waiting for her trust."

"Why wouldn't she trust us?" Zoro asked with a raised eyebrow, "Last time I checked, she was the one who almost got us killed and not the other way around."

"Trust is more complicated than that, Zoro, You know that," Emmy said and she smiled, "It's not like you trusted me and Luffy right off the bat."

"Yeah but it didn't take me  _days_ ,' Zoro huffed.

"How about Sanji? How long did it take you to trust  _him_?" Emmy countered.

Zoro scowled but did not even attempt to refute the first mate's claim that he held any faith towards the cook. He lifted his hand and went towards the door. "I really hate your power sometimes."

"I know," Emmy said with her smile still on her face as she returned to her chores. The smile was still there when the swordsman closed the door behind him. It wasn't because she had won her argument. It was because she knew she had made her point and the swordsman was beginning to soften towards the newest crew member.


	70. I am Following My Heart

"Look at the island! It looks like there's a resort!" Luffy shouted excitedly. He was draped over the masthead with his hand clasped tightly on his hat as they sailed forward to the spring island, Jaya.

"Ooh! Resort!" Usopp cheered.

"Hurry up, Merry!" Luffy exclaimed. He jumped back onto the deck and hopped on his feet, "Jaya! Jaya!"

"It does look nice," Nami admitted with a grin as they pulled into the harbor, "Makes me want to stick around for a bit."

Emmy tightened her grip on the broomstick she was holding and she gulped. "If there's a resort, do you think there are...nobles there?"

"I doubt it, Emmy-chan," Sanji said reassuringly as he lit a cigarette next to her, "See all the ships docked in the harbor? They're all waving pirate flags. This island is for pirates."

"Don't joke around, Sanji," Usopp laughed with anxiety growing in every syllable, "An island that allows pirates to just openly dock there? What kind of dangerous island would that be?"

HIs laughter dwindled to a nervous chuckle and then sweat fell down his face.

"What's with this town?!" Nami, Usopp, and Chopper wailed when they couldn't deny the display of skull and crossbones in front of them.

"A resort for pirates," Emmy whispered in awe and she rested her broom against the wall, "How wonderful."

"Doesn't sound wonderful at all!" Nami countered.

They pulled into the harbor and docked the Going Merry near the east end, where there was only one pirate ship next to them. That spot was insisted upon by the navigator and sniper, even though the captain wanted to just dock right in the center of the harbor, closest to the busiest looking street. Before Sanji could even drop the anchor into the water, Zoro and Luffy were already off the ship and ready to explore.

"Emmy! Come on!" Luffy cheered.

"If it's alright with you, Luffy, I'd like to go with Robin to the bookstore," Emmy replied as she and Robin disembarked and joined him on the dock, "I'll come find you later! Okay?"

Luffy puffed his cheeks and pouted his lips, "Fine. You can go. Don't take too long."

Emmy beamed and she looked excitedly at Robin, who smiled genuinely back at her.

"Oy…" Zoro growled as he folded his arms across his chest, "Be careful. Both of you. This town might not be opposed to pirates but it doesn't mean they'll be hospitable to us."

"Thank you for the warning, swordsman," Robin replied.

"I'll be on my best behavior," Emmy promised .

"That's not what I'm worried about," Zoro sighed but the two women paid him no mind as they brushed past him and made their way to town.

Emmy could tell Robin was well travelled, or at least, much more experienced than she was when it came to new cities just by the fact that Robin did not seem at all affected by the antics around them. There seemed to be some sort of brawl on every block, whether it was inside a building, outside on the street, or sometimes even both. Emmy was just as surprised by the onlookers' around her as she was to the fighters because they all seemed to take it all in stride, like Robin. Was this normal behavior?

"Robin? Have you been to Jaya or have read about this place before?"

"No. This is all new to me," Robin said as she caught the eye of a man selling fruit off of a cart, "Excuse me. Is there a bookstore in town?"

"Yes. Just go down this street and when you see the bar with the purple sign, make a left and the bookstore will be on that block," he said jovially and then held up an orange, "Would you like some fruit? I'll give you a very good price."

"None for me, thank you," Robin said and then looked at Emmy, "Would you like one?"

Emmy shook her head. "No, thank you. I would like to save my money for a book."

Robin chuckled just as an empty bottle sailed across her head and smashed against the building nearby. It missed her just by a hair.

"Robin!" Emmy gasped but Robin just gave a quick glance at the thrower, who turned out to be a man reeking of booze in the midst of duking it out with another drunkard, and then proceeded on her way. Emmy sped up her pace to walk side by side with the archaeologist, "Robin. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. The bottle didn't even touch me," Robin said, making a left at the purple sign. Her eyes darted from signage to signage until finally she found the bookstore and made her way in. She held open the door for Emmy, who stood at the opening.

"You seem so calm about everything," Emmy said wondrously, "How do you do that?"

Robin chuckled. "If you expect the unexpected, nothing will surprise you."

"If I expect the unexpected…" Emmy repeated and stepped into the bookstore.

Rows and rows of bookcases stood neatly at the center of the store with the walls lined with even more books. The cashier was at the back of the store and in front of a glass case with two shelves. The bottom shelf had older and thicker books propped up with it's pages open for all to see. Three empty sat on the highest shelf where three other books could be displayed.

The cashier was an elderly woman, who was tall and lanky. Her silvery white hair was piled up in a loose bun with a pink cat-eye glasses sitting right in front it. She smiled warmly at her new customers, which made her already thin eyes completely disappear with the crinkling of her skin.

"Hello. Welcome to my store. How may I help you?" she asked in a raspy but warm breath.

Emmy nervously ran her hands over the front of her apron, unsure of what to say. Luckily, her companion did.

"We're just looking around," Robin said politely and put a hand on Emmy's shoulder, "Do you have any books on fairy tales?"

"Fairy tales?" Both Emmy and the shopkeeper repeated with equal surprise.

The shopkeeper lowered her glasses and took a good hard look at the two customers. Her lips pursed together for a moment and then she spoke. "Who are you? What are you two doing on this island? And looking for something like that, no less?"

Emmy smoothed out her apron again and she bobbed her head. "Hello. My name is Monkey D. Emmy and this is Ni-"

"We're pirates," Robin interrupted and gave Emmy's shoulder a light squeeze, "We stopped here for some supplies and information. As for the book…I'm looking for a book that can teach a beginner reader both the fundamentals of reading as well as the joy of a well-crafted story. I figured a book on fairy tales would be best."

"You two? Pirates? You certainly don't look like pirates," The shopkeeper's expression softened considerably and she returned her glasses to the top of her head, "But then again, you two don't seem like troublemakers either. The books are in the back. I'll come bring them out. Wait just a moment."

She disappeared behind a swinging wooden door behind her and when she left, Emmy turned to Robin. "What's a fairy tale? Stories from fairies?" She gasped. "Are fairies  _real_?"

Robin chuckled. "Fairy tales are a type of story. It's usually for children and involves imaginary places and creatures. Some involve fairies but not all. They're just called that for some reason."

"You think I'll like these type of stories?" Emmy asked.

"I think so," Robin said, "If not, we can always something else for you to read. That's the best part about books. You can most likely find a book about anything."

"I'm sure I'll love whatever you pick for me. I trust you," Emmy said with a bright smile just as the shopkeeper returned with three books wrapped in a dusty canvas cloth. She set the books down on the glass case and unwrapped the cloth, revealing that the three books had different covers and thickness. The first book was blue and fairly thin. Underneath it was a green book that was just as thick as Sanji's triple-decker club sandwich. Finally, at the bottom was a red book that seemed to be half the thickness as the green one.

"I'm guessing fairy tales aren't popular in an island frequented by pirates," Robin said as she picked up the first book but then set it down as soon as she read the title, "No...not this one."

The shopkeeper let out a heavy sigh while Robin thumbed through the green book. "You two just arrived in Mock Town, yes?"

Robin's eyes peered over the book. "The name of this town is Mock Town?"

"Yes," the shopkeeper said, "We're a town that caters to pirates. It's been that way for the last hundred years or so."

"The Navy doesn't come?" Emmy asked.

The shopkeeper rolled her eyes, "Why? There are bigger fish to fry on the other islands. Jaya is small and there are only a few citizens living here, much less Mock Town."

"Even if this town is for pirates, why hide the fairy tale books in the back?" Robin asked and opened up the red book, "These are beautiful first editions that you seem to have taken great care of. In fact, I think these books usually are displayed in the glass case. Is that right?"

While Emmy marvelled at Robin's astute observation, the shopkeeper took out a lace handkerchief from her pocket and dabbed her eyes. "Thank you for noticing," she sniffed, "Yes...I do value those books. They are lovely first editions. The illustrations were hand drawn! That's why I dare not display them in the case right now. If the pirates out there see I even carry these kind of books, they might destroy my shop. Usually the pirates here fight amongst themselves and leave us merchants alone but I absolutely cannot risk it. The Bellamy Pirates already destroyed so many bars and restaurants in the past week!"

"Bellamy Pirates?" Emmy repeated and looked over at Robin, who felt just as confused as she was.

"Why would pirates care about fairy tales?" Robin asked.

The shopkeeper rolled her eyes again. "They look down on things like that. They're part of the new breed of pirates that believe the era where pirates dream about things is over. They've beaten up and laughed at so many pirate crews just by them mentioning the One Piece or even the legend of sky island."

"Sky island?" Emmy gasped, "Do you know something about the sky island?"

The shopkeeper's smile returned and she leaned over the glass case so she can get a little bit closer to the first mate. "Do you believe there is a sky island, little girl?"

Emmy nodded fervently. "We're actually trying to find information about it right now. Our Log Pose is pointing upwards and we saw a ship fall from the sky earlier today. It must mean we're close, yes?"

The shopkeeper wheezed out a laugh. "If your Log Pose is pointing upwards, then it must be so."

"Do you have any information about sky island? A book? Maybe even a sea journal?" Robin asked.

The shopkeeper shook her head. "I'm afraid not. The legend of sky island is just that...a legend. A myth that other pirates speak about when they come to this town. They leave in search for it and never return. Maybe they never found it and moved on to the next island or maybe they've found it and stayed. Whatever the case, no one has ever come back to tell us if they found it or not."

The shopkeeper then stood back up and she gave Emmy a wink. "But just because no one has found it, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Follow what you believe, child. The age of dreaming is not over. Don't listen to what anyone else tells you. Keep following your heart."

"I am," Emmy said with a smile that was swiftly gone in a split second.

Emmy felt a sharp flash of anger in three of her bonds followed by pain from one of the three. She sucked in a breath and shot Robin an alarmed look.

"Emmy? What's wrong?" Robin asked.

Emmy stuffed her hand in her pocket and pulled out a red coin purse, made out of one of Luffy's old vests. She put it on the glass case and gave both Robin and the shopkeeper a quick bow. "I'm really sorry. I need to go. This is all the money that I have. Thank you so much for your help and thank you, Robin, for picking out a book for me. I...I just…Ah!" A simultaneous flash of anger and pain, the former from the navigator and the latter from the swordsman, took Emmy's breath away. "I...need to go. Luffy and the others...They seem to be in trouble."

"I'll come with you," Robin said.

Emmy shook her head. "No. I'm sure it's nothing. I'll just go check up on them. I'll meet you back on the ship." With that, she ran out of the shop and headed towards the loudest commotion she could hear.

She knew she had found the right place when she saw the group of people gathered in front of an old, danky pub with a circular glass window and a swinging wooden door. She could hear roars of laughter inside and smells of liquor even when she had pushed herself to the middle of the crowd. When she finally made herself to the front, the window was smashed by a very familiar head of black hair.

"Luffy!" Emmy gasped as she rushed through the doors just in time to see Nami racing towards a bloodied Zoro and Luffy, who were both lying face down on the floor. The straw hat was clutched protectively in Nami's arms. Emmy joined her group and she gaped at the state of the captain and the swordsman. They were bruised, battered, and bloodied all around their bodies, "What happened?!"

"Pfft, is she part of your gang?" a girl in the back cackled in a squeay voice, "They all look so weak."

Her comment was met with boisterous laughter from the people inside the bar. Emmy turned to get a good look at the patrons. She couldn't tell if they were all from the same pirate crew but they shared the same sentiment. They were beyond amused by Emmy's nakama and it wasn't in a positive way.

"Hey, you two," someone in a white and lavender fur coat called out from the middle of the room, "You chicks won't be able to move forward into the new era if you're with those fools. How about I buy you both? What'll it cost to have you come with me?"

"What did you say?" Emmy gasped as Nami whirled around to glare at the man.

It didn't matter how Nami felt about the comment, though. The first mate had taken multiple offense to the comment and she was not going to let it slide. Emmy's eyes narrowed and she raised her palm. "Feel-"

_Thwack._

"Stop…"

Emmy blinked at Nami's hand gripping tightly onto her wrist. Her anger vanished and she looked at her nakama in surprise. Nami was the last person she'd thought would interfere. "Nami?"

"We're not fighting them. Luffy's orders," she said quietly.

"Eh?"

"Well?" the man in the fur coat asked, taking Emmy's stance not as a signal she was going to attack, rather of submission, "Looks like one of you wants to take me up on the offer. C'mon. Join us. It'll be fun. Just name your price."

The patrons chuckled and sneered while Nami gave Emmy's wrist a hard squeeze, not of support but to keep herself from going against what she just told the first mate.

"Sorry," she said and forced a confident smile, "We're both rejecting your offer. We're too good for a team of small fries like you."

The audience burst into another round of laughter.

"How stuck up!" the man in the fur coat snickered.

"Take those two and beat it already while you're all still alive, small fries," a gravelly voice stated from the bar. He punctuated the sentence with a slam of a bottle.

He was a burly man with wide shoulders that had a long, navy blue captain's coat draped over it with gold embellishments. He had a malicious smile that stretched from ear to ear and his eyes had a crazed look to it. The feeling of authority and glee made it clear he was the one in charge.

"You are Bellamy," Emmy stated, which made his smile grow even wider.

"Ha! At least one of the dumbasses recognize you, Captain!" one of the patrons crowed.

"That's right," Bellamy chuckled, "Are you rethinking your rejection? Want to join my crew?"

"No," Emmy said simply and then her eyes fell on a massive split at the center of the bar, right next to where Bellamy sat. Piles of splintered wood rested on the floor, stained with drops of blood. Emmy smoothed her apron and bowed at the barkeep pressed up against the wall, as far away from the hostile environment as he possibly could, "I'm very sorry for any damage that was caused by my nakama. If I had money I would try to offer some monetary compensation."

"Broke and stupid," Bellamy snorted, which riled up his audience once more.

"That's what you get for chasing dreams instead of treasure," a woman in the back laughed.

Nami grabbed Zoro by the back of his collar and nudged Emmy with her elbow. "Come on."

Emmy slung Luffy's arm over her shoulder and helped him to his feet. They walked in silence out of the pub, through the crowd, and down the street, ignoring the jeers and sounds of breaking bottles behind them.

"The sky island exists."

The group stopped in their tracks and looked over at the growling voice that had called to them. It belonged to a burly man who had a few missing teeth and scraggly black hair. He was munching on mini cherry pies and flecks of jelly and crumbs flew out of his mouth as he continued to speak. "Zehahaha! The cherry pies here really are the best," he laughed.

"It's you…" Nami stated while Emmy tilted her head.

"Why so angry, young lady?" he asked in between bites, "You're the ones who won the fight."

"What?" Nami asked.

"Your sharp retort was really something too. You've got nerves of steel. Zehahahaha!" he said. When he paused to take a bite of his cherry pie, his eyes moved to Emmy, who gave him a small nod, "You're a polite one, aren't ya?"

When their eyes locked, a shiver ran down Emmy's spine that she could not explain. She didn't feel anything out of the ordinary. The man didn't exude any extreme emotion for her to sense and yet, she couldn't help but feel slightly fearful of him. This wasn't her power reacting. This was completely instinctual.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue? Zehahaha," the man laughed.

Luffy silently unhooked his arm from Emmy, took his hat back from Nami, and then slipped his free hand into Emmy's while Zoro got to his feet and dusted off his pants. Both men kept their eyes glued on the cherry pie eating man and a rise of caution in her bonds told Emmy that they were getting the same vibe as she was.

"The new era they're talking about is crap! The era where pirates have dreams will be over, they say? What nonsense. Zehahahaha!" the man roared, "People's dreams...have NO end! Isn't that right?!"

The group stared at him in silence for a moment while everyone else around them gaped at his random outburst. Then the silence was broken by the whispers and giggles from their audience.

"What is he shouting about? Weird, old guy," the people tittered.

"Outdoing others isn't easy," the man laughed, continuing on the conversation as if it was just him and the group of battered pirates, "They can laugh at us but it's all right. When you aim high, you sometimes come across fights not worth fighting. Isn't that right? Zehahahaha!"

"Let's go," Zoro said as he turned on his heels and left.

"Yah," Nami agreed and then glanced over her shoulder at Luffy and Emmy, who were still looking at the man with the cherry pie., "Luffy. Emmy."

There was no response from anyone so Nami tried again. "Guys. Come on!"

"Looks like I interrupted you," the man said as he got to his feet, "Are you in a hurry? I hope you find your way to the sky island. Zehahahaha."

With that, he hoisted a small sack of his cherry pies and alcohol and went in the opposite direction. It wasn't until his back was fully turned did Luffy move as well. He tilted his straw hat over his eyes, loosened his grip on Emmy, and walked briskly to catch up to his swordsman.

"Hey, he might have known something about sky island that we don't," Nami said as she followed behind, "Do you think we should've asked him?"

"It's not 'him'," Luffy replied solemnly.

"It's 'them'...probably," Zoro agreed.

Nami stopped walking and she looked around her. However, all she could see was the usual crowd of pirates and merchants just bustling around the street. "What? What do you guys mean? Do you mean there were others with him?! Where?"

"Luffy?" Emmy asked softly, watching a small bead of blood fall down his chin, "What happened?"

"Sorry to have worried you," was all Luffy could say back.

"Ah. Hope it didn't cause you much pain, Emmy," Zoro added under his breath.

Emmy bit her lip and walked in silence the rest of the way back to the ship. The fact that those two were in such bad shape yet were apologizing to her was enough for her not to pry. She was well aware that on the outside it might look like Luffy would fight without reason but she knew better than that. She knew him better than that. Every fight stemmed from him wanting something, whether it was for something as trivial as Usopp's last bite of dinner or for his ultimate goal, the One Piece. This must mean that Bellamy and his men didn't have anything Luffy wanted, big or small. They weren't worth the captain's effort.


	71. I am Finding Out Myself

Emmy's heart was beating hard against her chest. She had to actively remind herself to breathe through her nose and out of her mouth as to sustain her intensive movement and to keep herself light on her feet. She was used to this regiment during the swordsman's training but this time it wasn't an exercise, even though her sparring partner was the same.

"Zoro. Please. Stand still," Emmy said between breaths. She thrust out the bandaid in her hand towards the swordsman's face but he quickly stepped to the side and batted her hand away.

"I told you. I'm fine, Emmy, I just need to sleep," he replied.

"You're bleeding all over the deck," Emmy protested. She straightened herself up and pointed at the trail of blood and that stopped at his feet.

Her words seemed to annoy the swordsman and he scowled. "Are you worried about me or Merry getting dirty?!"

Before she answered, she made a lunge at Zoro, taking advantage of his lowered guard. The bandaid stuck straight onto the deep gash on his left cheek. "Both! You are both very important. If you won't let Chopper take a look at you, at least take care of yourself."

Zoro's scowl deepened and he put a hand over the bandaid. However, instead of pulling it off, he pressed it in even more. He turned on his heel and swiftly crossed the deck. He didn't break stride when he bent down and scooped up a roll of bandages at the doctor's side when he passed him and the captain. He sat himself against the railing and started to wrap his wounds. "Fine."

"So what kind of monster did you guys encounter?" Usopp asked from the opposite railing while Emmy took out a mop and began to clean up Zoro's mess.

"Pirates," Luffy grinned. Chopper had made quick work of him and he was practically good as new except for some scuff marks along his arms and a bandaid right under his eye. Of course, that didn't mean the doctor's work was done. The reindeer was in the middle of patting ointment to help alleviate the bruising. "But it's all over now."

Nami crossed her arms and stewed on the steps. "Even if it's over for you guys, it's not over for me. What's with you guys? Aren't you men? When someone provokes you, you should go ahead and beat them all up! Actually, better yet, why not just blow up this whole annoying town?!"

Emmy stopped her mopping for just a second and shot the navigator a curious look. "But Nami, you stopped me from fighting..."

"What's past is past!" Nami snapped, "Don't talk about ancient history!"

Usopp scratched his head. "Oy. What's she in such a mood about when she's unhurt?"

Luffy shrugged. "No idea."

"Her pride is hurt," Emmy said and then went about her mopping, ignoring the look of outrage from the navigator, "Deeply."

"Keep our bond to yourself, Emmy!" Nami roared.

Emmy paused her mopping again. She stood up straighter and then bowed to the navigator. "You're right. I'm sorry."

The fact that the first mate conceded so easily only frustrated the navigator even more and it released the flood gate. "Tch. All I did was mention 'sky island' and the entire bar broke out laughing. Did I say something funny?! What's up with them?! Who do they think they are?! HUH?!"

"Ah, it's quite lively up here," Robin said as she climbed up on the deck. She was wearing a brand new outfit, a purple cowboy hat with a purple suit and black boots. In both hands, she carried shopping bags of different sizes and colors, "Did I miss a party?"

"Ah! Welcome back, Robin-channnn!" Sanji sang, "Should I prepare you a refreshing beverage? Or a bath?"

"Robin!" Emmy said as she finished mopping off the last spot of blood and then rested her mop in a bucket, "Did you have fun in town?"

"Stupid town," Nami hissed under her breath.

Robin smiled. "Yeah. I got some new clothes and information about the sky island. Oh! And here. These belong to you." She set her bags down and then her hand went into a green paper bag. She took out Emmy's coin purse and a red book. "Here you go."

Emmy took it out of her hands and she stared wonderously at the front cover. It had gold letterings and embellishments all around the cover and spine. "The…" Emmy read slowly, "S-...Sno-...Snow Qu..Que...Queen…?"

"Ehhh? Emmy, what's that? What's that?" Luffy asked. He hopped up on his feet and ran to the first mate.

"A fairy tale," Emmy said. She pressed the book to her chest, cradling it in her arms, and she beamed at the archaeologist, "Thank you, Robin. I'm sure I'll love it!"

"Ahhh, a fairy tale. What a romantic selection, Robin-chwan," Sanji cooed, "What is this one about? A princess locked up in a high tower, waiting for her prince to rescue her? A mermaid seeking the love of a man?"

"Tch," Zoro scoffed, "Sounds like nonsense. Emmy! Don't read that kind of crap."

"Let me see that," Usopp said. He took the book from Emmy and flipped to a random section of the book and began to read, "'This was a very wicked creature; a real demon.' EEP!"

He shut the book and gaped at Robin. "Are you trying to give Emmy  _more_  nightmares?"

Robin tilted her head. "Nightmares?"

"Oh, please. You guys don't know this story?" Nami scoffed as she marched over to the sniper and turned to a specific page of the book, "Read that.  _That's_  why Robin thinks Emmy will like this."

"Huh?" Usopp's eyes moved to where the navigator pointed to, "'They were not brother and sister but they...' Oh. I see! Yeah! Great book, Robin! This is perfect for Emmy to read."

Emmy's interest was indeed piqued "But they what? But they what?"

Robin took the book from Usopp and returned it closed to the first mate. "You'll have to read it yourself to find out. Navigator, I'm surprised you know this story."

Nami shrugged, clearly calming down from her anger. "I know a lot of things."

The archaelogist turned on her heels and pulled out a folded up paper from her pocket. "Oh, Captain. Here you go."

"Huh? What's this?" Luffy asked. When he opened it up, his eyes brightened, "Ah! It's a treasure map!"

"No, it isn't," Usopp said, peeking over his shoulder, "It's just an ordinary map. There's no skull mark or pictures of treasure chests on it."

"'Jaya'," Sanji read at the top of the map, "Oh! It's  _this_  island."

"Yes," Robin confirmed, "The town drawn on the left is Mock Town, where we are now. You see an 'X' on the other side of the island, yes? I heard that a man who doesn't blend in with the town lives there."

"Doesn't blend in?" Sanji, Usopp, Emmy, and Luffy repeated.

Robin nodded. "A man who talked about dreams and was driven out. You might have something in common to discuss."

"Ooh. Let's try going there then," Luffy said while Usopp took a different stance.

"Oy, wait a sec, Luffy. I'm not sure if we should go now because-"

"SET SAIL!" Luffy cheered.

As Nami kept an eye on the map and sky and Zoro, Chopper, and Sanji manned the ship and sails, Emmy sat quietly at the front with the book opened on her lap. It was taking her some time to even get through a page but she was determined to find out what this story was about. The story didn't start off with a brother and sister. Instead, it was about a demon with a magic mirror.

Her concentration was broken less than half an hour into reading when Luffy, Sanji, and Usopp came running to the deck with the sniper consciously keeping himself directly behind the cook and captain.

"Is something wrong?" Emmy asked.

"Look! This is why I didn't want to set sail," Usopp wailed and pointed out.

A large ship sailed towards them from the horizon. As it got closer, they saw an ape-like face carved on the masthead and an ape-shaped skull painted on it's sail.

"The monkey scavenger is back!" Usopp wailed.

Luffy frowned. "I don't think it's the same guy as before."

"Well, whether that's a good thing or a bad thing is another story," Sanji said.

They didn't bother to anchor the Merry or steer away. The ape ship was too close for them to go unnoticed so there was no use avoiding the inevitable. Both ships gradually sailed towards each other and the captains on each ship remained silent until they could face each other.

The captain of the ape ship was definitely not the same salvaging captain they had met before, although there were many similarities. This one resembled more of an orangutan. He had long green hair and he wore a green and white coat that hung down to the floor.

"Hey, you've got a pretty weird face," Luffy called out as a form of greeting, "What species are you?"

"I'm human, you moron!" the other captain screeched back.

His crew took great offense. They leaned over the ship and shook their fist at Luffy. "You punks!" they shouted, "Don't you know Shojo-sama? He's the big boss of the Shojo Pirates and the king of undersea search!"

"Enough, enough," Shojo said with a wave of his hands, despite having a faint blush in his cheeks. He stared down at Luffy over the tip of his nose. "Looks like you are pirates. Have you heard the news that Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, has been taken down? When you consider my abilities, that post may come to me."

"I see," Luffy said, "You want to become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea?"

"Well," Shojo sniffed, "The great part about me is that I haven't had my hair cut in all my 25 years of life. Isn't that impressive?"

"Sounds stupid," Luffy replied, "Emmy cuts my hair every few months or so. She says long hair gets dirty quicker and it'll only get in the way the longer it gets."

"Oy! Watch your mouth!" The Shojo pirates cried.

"Listen, you will come out of the tunnel that is my anger into a sea of blood if you keep talking like that. You're getting me all worked up," Shojo said darkly.

"Emmy-chan," Sanji muttered under his breath without taking his eyes off of the Shojo Pirates, "It might be best if you go put your book somewhere safe."

"Oh!" Emmy gasped as her grip on her book tightened ever so slightly, "Yes. You're right. I'll be right back."

She didn't make it very far. As soon as she reached the bottom step to the deck below, she heard behind her Luffy's clear-cut voice.

"Whatever. We're heading somewhere and you're in our way. Move aside."

"IDIOT! This area is my turf! If you wanna pass through, pay the toll!"

"Oh dear." Emmy didn't even bother looking back. She just picked up the pace and hurriedly ran to the boy's quarter. She set the book down on the table in front of the couch. As soon as the book left her hands, she heard a piercing scream inside her head.

_Ahhhh!_

"Merry-san?!" Emmy gasped.

_Little Miss! Please help!_

The sides of the ship were rattling and the floor beneath Emmy's feet were also shaking. It was as if they were experiencing a violent earthquake. The first mate raced back up the deck.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

As soon as the door swung open, she was hit with a high-pitched shockwave that made the walls and stair behind her shake even harder, loosening up some boards and splintering some as well.

"Ah!" Emmy flinched and her hands went over her ears. In front of her, her nakama were scrambling every which way in an effort to get the ship to sail faster but Emmy could see there was already extensive damage to the Going Merry. The patches they put in were entirely gone. Large chunks of the floorboards and railings were missing and more damage was getting done with every second, "Wh-what's going on?!"

"That monkey guy!" Usopp shouted as he ran past, "His intense singing is ripping Merry apart! We need to get out of here."

_Little Miss! I don't know how much longer I can take this. Please. Please make him stop!_

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Pieces and pieces of wood were splintering around the first mate. The frantic cries of Merry mixed in with the panic that her nakama were feeling. It was one thing if one of them were attacked because they could at least defend themselves but what was Merry supposed to when she was the target? She was unarmed and helpless. Worst of all, Merry was hurting...and that made Emmy very,  _very_ angry.

"AHHHHHHHHH-!"

Shojo's shrill call stopped in a snap. He stood frozen in his spot, unable to pivot his head or even loosen his grip on the mic stand in front of him. He felt like a cornered animal and if he dared turn to see the source, he would be facing death himself, the ultimate predator.

Across both ships, no one moved a muscle. There wasn't even a breath to be heard. Finally, Shojo found it in himself to crane his head around and face whatever was causing the hairs on his skin to stick straight out. For some reason, he was even more terrified when he locked eyes on the source.

Emmy stood at the back of the ship, facing the captain. Her eyes were completely white and the ends of her hair flowed outwards like a wronged spirit seeking revenge. She had her hand out and her index finger was directed right at Shojo.

Behind him, his men were sharing in the same sensation. Behind her, her nakama were staring at her in total shock and they, too, were unable to move a muscle.

"Feel Feel..."

Even though she was too far for Shojo to hear her voice vocally, he felt it in his soul, striking directly into his heart like a cold, sharp icicle.

"Little Pirate?"

Emmy's hand jerked back and she blinked for a second before turning to face the archaeologist, who was looking at her with a blank expression. Once the first mate registered who had interrupted her, Emmy's hair fell back down to it's natural position and her eyes returned to its usual blue. "Robin?"

Emmy then turned to look again at Shojo and his ship, which was gradually getting smaller, and then quickly returned to her nakama. "It looks like we got away," she said with a relieved sigh, "Thankfully, he stopped."

"...Yes," Robin agreed.

Emmy put a hand on Merry's railing and moved along it until she reached the first broken patch. She didn't get very far. "Oh no...Merry-san…," she whispered.

_Thank you, Little Miss._

"Eh?" Emmy asked, "What did I do?"

Suddenly, a warm and familiar hand covered hers and she looked up to see a solemn Luffy. "Don't worry. We'll patch her up."

Emmy nodded and broke into a smile. "Ah. I'll go grab the supplies."

She crossed the deck and she paused when she reached the door. She looked around her at the rest of the crew and tilted her head. "Guys, the worst is over. There's no reason to be afraid. Merry-san is fine now."

Zoro was the first to recover and he smacked the back of the sniper to get him back to his senses. "Usopp and I will help carry supplies. Looks like we'll be needing more than just a stack of planks to fix this mess. Right, Usopp?"

"Wha-...I mean, right! Right!"

Emmy smiled and held the door out for the two. "Thank you. That would be appreciated."

As the three of them descended down to the storage room, the door swiftly closed behind them. When it clicked shut, the deck exploded into conversation.

"What was that?!" Nami gasped. Her hand went to her heart, "God! I felt so...so…-"

"Enraged," Chopper said, "So much anger! I felt like it was going to...going to…"

"Burn me from the inside," Sanji finished, "Ah...seems like we all experienced the same thing...Except for…"

His eyes moved towards the archaeologist, who nodded in agreement.

"Me," she said and crossed her arms, "It must be because of the bonds you all share with her."

"Luffy, has this ever happened before?" Nami asked, turning to the captain, who was staring at the closed door, "Is this what happens when she loses her temper?"

"No," was all he could say.

"Well," Robin said, "It doesn't seem like she recalls what happened so there's no point in asking her."

Sanji pulled out a fresh cigarette and lit it. "Agreed. If we bring it up to Emmy-chan now, it'll only make her sad that she made us feel that way."

"Feel what?"

Sanji almost dropped the cigarette. He spun to face the first mate, who came out of the door with a bucket of nails and a hammer. Fortunately, the swordsman interrupted before the cook could come up with a response.

Zoro appeared behind Emmy with a stack of pliable metal on his shoulders. He nudged her forward with his free hand. "Keep walking, Emmy. Usopp's coming up with the wood."

"Ah, yes. Sorry," Emmy said. She moved to the mast and set the bucket of nails down. As she circled the mast to assess the damage, the swordsman shot a quick glance to the captain. They both said nothing but seemed to understand each other without having to exchange words.

Whatever happened has past and they would just have to make sure it doesn't happen again.


	72. I am Being a Good Guest

"A-A-Amazing!" Luffy and Usopp screamed while Emmy tentatively reached out her hand and tugged gently on Robin's sleeve.

"R...Robin...Who is this man? Is he very rich and powerful?" Emmy asked quietly.

Robin tilted her head to the side. "I don't think he is."

"But…" Emmy whispered, "He lives in a palace."

They had sailed the Merry around the coast to the eastern part of Jaya to find this Montblanc Cricket, who might be able to help them. The ship was now docked at right at the edge of the coastline, where this mystery man seemed to have built his home. His home was not a house, however, but a gigantic five story palace with towers and flags waving out at them.

"Idiots," Zoro said from the top mast, "Take a closer look."

Sanji ashed his cigarette and scoffed. "A dreamer, huh? He does seem to be vain."

"Huh? What does he mean?" Chopper asked. He brought his hooves to his eyes and tried to get a better look.

Emmy shook her head. "I have no idea."

Luffy jumped over the ship and down to the grassy land. He sprinted around the premises and as soon as he got to the back of the palace, he let out a scream. "What the…?! It's just a board?!"

"WHAT?!" Usopp, Emmy, and Chopper exclaimed.

"The actual house is only half of it. The rest is just a veneer," Zoro said.

"Who is this man?" Namio asked to their newest member, "What did he do to get driven out of town?"

"I don't know exactly," Robin admitted, "But the towns people have heard him say that a huge amount of gold rests in Jaya."

Usopp and Nami leaned in closer. "GOLD?!"

"Is there some buried treasure here or something?" Nami demanded.

Robin shrugged. "We'll have to ask him."

"EMMY!" Luffy called out. His arms stretched up and over the railing. His hands grabbed the first mate by the waist and hoisted her up. He grinned when he snapped back his arms and Emmy stood in front of him, albeit a little winded, "Shishishi. Come see this!"

He grabbed her hand and led her to the back of the house where she could see for herself the tall, painted panel stuck to the front. It was held up by two large wooden beams. The house itself was a modest two-story building with white brick and embellishments painted pink and red over the top of the rounded first floor. It had a wooden door and wooden shutters. The house was an odd shape. It looked as if used to be a fully circular house but then exactly half of it was demolished and the panel was stuck in its place.

Luffy walked to the door and his free hand started to move to the knob but then he caught himself. He shot a sheepish grin to the first mate and then gave three sharp knocks to the front door. "Hello? Anybody home? Okay, I'm coming in."

Without waiting for an answer, he opened the unlocked door and walked briskly into the room. Emmy stopped right beneath the doorway and gave a small bow to the vacant house. "Sorry to bother you."

Luffy blinked at the space. Someone indeed lived here. There was a tea set resting on a small dining table on one side of the room and a bed on the other. There was a stove and sink towards the back and bookshelves along the walls. A set of stairs sat in the middle of the room with the back of it facing the door.

Luffy frowned. "Aw. It's empty. No one's home."

Usopp came running from behind. "You idiots! What're you gonna do if this guy's dangerous?"

Emmy impulsively ran the tip of her finger along the top of the closest bookcase. She examined it and then showed it to the sniper. "At least he's clean."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Usopp asked.

Emmy smiled and then pulled on Luffy's hand. "Well, if no one is home, we need to leave. Otherwise, we're intruding."

"Okay," Luffy said and both of them left with the first mate gently closing the door behind her, but not before straightening a framed painting at the side of the door.

"Guys, look what I found," Nami shouted. She was off the ship, along with the others. They were standing around a thick tree stump that had four little tree stumps situated around it, like a natural outdoor dining spot. In Nami's hand was a thin book.

"A book?" Usopp asked when him, Emmy, and Luffy joined the group.

"This is quite an old book," Nami said, "It's titled 'Noland the Liar'."

"Wow, that's a cool title. Nice idea for a book," Usopp commented.

Sanji leaned a bit closer to the see the book, "'Noland the Liar?' I know this story."

"Eh?" Nami glanced down at the cover, "But it says this story was published in the North Blue."

"Ah, I was born in the North Blue," Sanji said and then registered the surprised look on everyone's faces, "Did I not tell you guys?"

"I thought you were from the East Blue like everyone else," Usopp said.

"I grew up there, yes," Sanji replied and then took the book from Nami's hand, "May I?"

"Yes, of course."

Sanji held up the book. He didn't even need to open it to know it's contents. "This is a famous story in the North. It's a fairy tale, but I've heard that this Noland guy actually existed long ago."

Emmy was confused. "I thought fairy tales weren't real?"

Sanji winked at the first mate. "It can be, Emmy-chan. Some very special fairy tales can be."

"Is this story special?" Emmy asked.

Sanji gave her the book and opened the front page. "Why don't you read this out loud, Emmy-chan, and find out?"

Emmy's eyes widened. "Me?"

"Oh, please. It'll take forever for her to get through it," Nami sighed and took the book back from Sanji. She looked around for any signs of protest. When there was none, she started to read

"'A long, long time ago, a man named Montblanc Noland lived in a North Blue country. Noland, an explorer, always talked about his incredible adventures. However, the villagers couldn't tell if those stories were true or not. One day, he reported to the king after coming back from his travels. 'I saw a mountain of gold on an island in the great sea,' he declared. The courageous king set sail to the great sea to see if the story was true, taking 2,000 soldiers with him. After surviving great storms and battling against monsters, only the king, Noland, and 100 soldiers made it to the island. However, what they found there was just a jungle. In the end, he was sentenced to death for the crime of lying. Noland's last words were as follows; 'That's right! The mountain of gold sank in the sea!' but no one believed Noland any longer. Noland was lying right to the moment of his death. The End.'"

A silence fell over the group when the navigator closed the book.

"Yeah," Sanji sighed, "It's not a happy story. North Blue kids are told this story all the time to deter them from lying. It's- AHHH! Emmy-chan!"

The cook's cigarette fell off his lips and dropped to the floor. He rushed over to the first mate, who was crying into her apron. "I did not realize this story was going to upset you. Emmy-chan, are you-?"

"It's...it's just so sad," Emmy sniffed, "What if Usopp goes back home? Will they sentence him to death?"

"Oy! Why are you dragging me into this?" Usopp demanded.

"It's fine. They won't kill Usopp," Zoro said encouragingly, "No one ever believed him in the first place."

"WAAAA!"

_Kaploosh!_

"Eh?!" the pirates gasped and turned to their captain's cry just as his sandals disappeared under the water.

"Luffy fell into the sea!" Nami cried while Usopp made a dash to the land's edge.

"What're you doing, Luffy?!" Usopp asked exasperatedly but just when he was about to dive in after the captain, a man surfaced from the water.

"Who the hell are you?" Sanji demaded.

The man swiftly got out of the water and flexed his fingers into tight fists.

"You've got guts," he grunted, "Relaxing at someone's house without permission."

"Is this your house?" Emmy asked, "Is your name Montblanc Cricket?"

The man nodded. The man had only on a pair of dark purple pants with a white track going down the side of each leg and a rope tied around his waist. He did not wear a shirt and even though he had wrinkles all around his face, there was no sign of aging on his muscular body. On his head perched a chestnut shaped hat.

"Yes it is, you brats, and the sea in this area is my turf," he growled.

"Turf turf turf. That seems to be all we've been hearing these days. So annoying," Sanji snapped and made a charge at the chestnut man, "Usopp! I'll handle him, Go after Luffy"

"Yosh!" Usopp said.

"You're after gold, aren't you?" the chestnut man accused as Sanji swung his leg out, "Die!"

The man's hand blocked Sanji's foot and they locked up within inches of each other. With the man occupied, Usopp quickly dove into the water. Without hesitation, the man drew out a pistol and shot it right at Sanji's face.

"AH! Sanji!" the pirates shouted as the cooks' head disappeared in a cloud of gunsmoke.

"Don't worry, guys. It didn't hit me," Sanji shouted with his neck arched back. He righted himself up, freed his foot, and leapt back as the man shot bullet after bullet at him.

"Idiot, let me take care of him," Zoro grunted but just as he was about to join in the fight, the first mate stuck out her arm to block his path.

"Wait! Sanji, stop!" Emmy ordered with her eyes narrowed at the chestnut man, "Something doesn't feel right."

"What do you mean?" Sanji asked while in the middle of a spinning handstand.

_Clank!_

The gun fell from the man's hand and he crumpled to the grass. Sweat beaded down his forehead and he doubled over his knees.

Usopp and Luffy emerged from the water and Usopp gave the captain an annoyed look as he rolled him onto the grass.

"Why the hell did you jump into the water, Luffy?"

"I didn't," Luffy whined, "I saw bubbles in the water and then a chestnut! But before I could grab it, it grabbed me and dragged me down. The chestnut was a man, Usopp! An old man. OH, it was that old man! Eh?! Emmy, what happened?!"

The captain had spotted the first mate. She was crouched next to the chestnut man, who was growling in pain, while Chopper knelt on the other side of him with his stethoscope in his ears.

"This is bad," Chopper said as he listened to the old man's breathing, "Quick. Let's bring him inside."

"Wait. Why are we helping him? He just tried to kill us," Zoro protested as Emmy threw the old man's arm over her shoulder and struggled to her feet.

Emmy shot a stern look over at the swordsman but before she could say anything, her burden was lifted and Luffy had taken her place. The cook was soon taking the other side of the injured and they both started to walk towards the house.

"He fought to protect his home," Emmy said quietly while she brushed past the swordsman, "He attacked. We defended ourselves but now the fight is over...And like he said, we're on his turf. We're his guests."

"Whatever," Zoro said and dropped the grip to his swords. He took the rear and was the last one to enter the house. Before he closed the door, the swordsman casted a quick look of the coastline, just in case there were any other surprises headed their way.

"What do you think is wrong with him, Chopper?" Usopp asked as they placed the chestnut man on his bed.

"Caisson disease," Chopper stated and looked around the room, "Can someone get me some cold towels?"

"Yeah. Right here," Nami said. The navigator went to the kitchen sink and drenched a towel. She gave it to the doctor, who put it against the man's forehead.

"Is he sick?" Luffy asked.

Chopper nodded. "Yeah, that's a sickness that divers sometimes get but...it usually doesn't become a longstanding condition. This is the most severe case I've come across."

"What is it?" Emmy asked.

"Due to a lack of decompression when surfacing from the seabed, the nitrogen dissolved in the blood gets released quickly and forms gas bubbles at that time," Chopper said, "Since the gas bubbles expand inside and outside of blood vessels, they cause problems to blood flow, muscles, and joints."

"Ah," Luffy said as he folded his arms and nodded, "So it's some bizarre phenomenon, huh?"

"He probably kept diving every day without giving time for those bubbles to disappear from the body."

"What for?" Nami asked.

"I don't know, but he's taking a risk," Chopper sighed, "In extreme cases, caisson disease can cause death."

"But you know how to cure him from this disease, yes?" Emmy asked.

"Ah," Chopper said, "But he'll just return to this condition if he keeps diving as much as he seems to be doing."

"Can we do anything to help?" Emmy asked.

While Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp watched silently in the house, Nami and Luffy busied themselves with helping Chopper tend to the patient while Emmy helped tidy up the house. She was in the middle of sweeping the floor when two familiar and large faces stuck in through the opened front door.

"Old-timer! Are you alright?!" the two monkey captains, Shojo and Masira screamed.

Usopp's jaw dropped to the ground. He and Chopper started to run around the room in a panic.

"What're you guys doing here?!" Shojo demanded, "What did you do to the old-timer?"

Emmy returned to her sweeping while Luffy frowned disapprovingly at their presence. "What? We're looking after this guy right now. Go somewhere else."

"Idiot! Like they are really going to hear us out," Usopp snapped, "Like they'll believe us when we tell them we're here to help cure the old man."

"Oh! Look! They know each other," Emmy said with realization and pointed out a framed photo on the wall. It was a picture of the old man with the two monkey brothers standing behind him with their arms around each other, "They look to be friends."

"You just saw this now?!" Zoro couldn't help but groan.

Emmy smiled apologetically and continued to sweep, "Well, I was more focused on the floor…I wanted everything to be nice once the old man feels better and wakes up."

"Eh? Feel better?" Masira repeated and then tears filled both his and his brother's eyes.

"You...guys are so nice," they blubbered together.

Usopp and Chopper fell flat on their face. "They actually did hear us out," Usopp gasped.

"Oy, you guys are so noisy," Sanji sighed, "Nami-san, Emmy-chan, and I will help Chopper. All of you idiots take it outside."

"Why are you grouping me with them?" Zoro snapped but was the first one to leave the house. He swiftly sat himself next to the door and napped on the grass.

"Yosh! Everyone leave while Sanji and Emmy make food. Yes! Dinner!" Luffy cheered as he scrambled outside.

"Did I say anything about cooking?!" Sanji yelled after the already gone captain.

Usopp flashed a look towards the first mate before he headed out. "Eh...Emmy? Are you...okay…?"

Emmy blinked. "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"I mean...with that monkey guy here...the one who did all that damage to Merry…"

"Merry-san is fine now...and it seems like he won't do it again," Emmy replied and then she looked around her at Sanji, Nami, and Chopper, "Why are you all suddenly so tense? Did something happen?"

"Nope! Nothing at all," Sanji said quickly and pushed Usopp out of the house, "Usopp is just overthinking things with his overactive imagination. Right, Usopp?"

"Yes. Just me and my hyper brain!" Usopp called out.

Sanji chuckled nervously and then clapped his hands together. "Now then, Chopper. What should we do?"

By the time Emmy was done with the floors and had dusted the bookshelves, the patient woke up. To Emmy's surprise, he was quite calm when he came to and did not react in any way to see people in his house that he had just previously attacked. He sat up from his bed and politely asked the cook for a cigarette, which the cook happily obliged. The doctor would have protested but he was too busy running out the door to fetch the captain.

"Hey, old diamond-head! I wanna ask you something!" Luffy shouted from the door.

The old man blew out a slow stream of smoke. "Sorry I caused you trouble. I thought you were just more idiots after the gold."

"So you  _do_  have some gold!" Nami exclaimed.

"Don't even go there," Usopp warned.

"What is that you wanna ask me?" The old man said, ignoring the navigator.

"Old guy, we wanna go to the sky island! Can you tell us how to get there?"

"Sky...island?" the old man repeated and then he threw his head back and laughed heartily, "So you guys believe in sky island?"

"Shut up!" Nami seethed as she balled up her fists but was held back by the sniper.

"Stop! He's a sick person," Usopp hissed.

"Do you not think there is a sky island, Cricket-san?" Emmy asked.

The old man took another puff of his cigarette. "I know someone who said there is but people call him a legendary big liar. His family became a laughing stock forever."

Luffy's eyes went straight to the sniper.

"NOT ME!" Usopp seethed.

"Are you talking about the story, Noland the Liar?" Emmy asked.

"Ah, you know the story?" the old man asked, "Are you all from the North Blue?"

"We saw the book outside," Emmy admitted and then pointed at Sanji, "But he's from the North Blue and he already knew the story."

Sanji scratched his chin. "Come to think of it...Noland's full name was Montblanc Noland. Could it be that you're his descendant?"

"A descendant?!" Nami gasped, "Could this place be the island in that story?"

"Hmph, he's my granddad's granddad's granddad's...he's a very distant ancestor," Montblanc Cricket said, "What a nuisance. I doubt there's a drop of his blood left in my body. Although, the actions of Montblanc Noland happened so long ago, our family, to this day, is still being mocked by those who know the story...Funnily enough, no one in the family hates him."

"Why?" Chopper asked.

"Because Noland was an extraordinarily honest person," Cricket replied.

"What?!" the pirates gasped.

"But..the book says…" Emmy started to say.

"Montblanc Noland's last words were indeed, 'That's right! The mountain of gold sank in the sea!' but even though a stupid-looking face is drawn in this book, in reality, he shed many tears and died a regrettable death. He was sure that the island he reached was Jaya and that was where he found what was left of a city of gold. He felt that there was no way it was just an illusion. He insisted that the ruins had submerged due to crustal movements but everyone thought he was making excuses out of desperation. Noland was executed in front of laughing onlookers and only the name 'Liar' remained."

"I see!" Usopp said enthusiastically, "You're looking for the seabed of gold in order to clear the Montblanc family's name!"

"Don't be silly!"

_Bang!_

The bullet hole in the wall smoked just barely an inch over Usopp's face while Cricket set down his gun. "How honest my distant ancestor was or how great an explorer he was, has nothing to do with me! Can you understand how a kid would feel being laughed at by strangers just because he's the descenant of that idiot?! That's how I grew up! But yeah...over the past 400 years, many set sail in search of this island with the hope of restoring our family name...Though all of them went missing. I was ashamed of this family so I ran away from home and became a pirate."

"Oh! So you're a pirate!" Luffy said with a grin.

"It's not that I wanted to become a pirate. I just wanted to escape from the family's curse. Over time, I came to have my own pirate group. At long last, I entered the Grand Line and spent my time on adventures. However, ten years ago, my ship reached this island by accident. Strangely enough, only I, who continued to hate the family and Noland the most, made it here. The island didn't have a city of gold, just like the book said. As I stood on the cape, I realized there was no place to escape to. It was time for me to face my destiny. It was time to settle this once in for all."

Cricket looked down at his hands. "If it's there, it's fine. If it's not there, it's fine. It's not that I want to prove his innocence. This is a duel with the man who threw a wrench into my life. I want to set the record straight before I die."

Usopp fought back his tears to no avail and he rubbed it away with the back of his arm. "This is indeed a man's duel."

"Then what about them?" Luffy asked and pointed out the window to where the two monkey brothers were peering in through, "Why are they here?"

"Must've been an exciting tale," Usopp sobbed, "One where they understood each other by communicating with their fists like true men."

"Those guys are big fans of the picture book," Cricket said, which stopped the sniper's tears immediately.

"That's it?!"

"That's quite a simple connection," Nami said.

"They came here around five or six years ago. They heard a rumor about me and barged in here," Cricket said with a shrug, "The sea is dark, cold, and lonely the further you go. I just dived and searched alone every day. They just came into my life and became my underlings without my permission. SIngle-minded idiots like them...make me feel relieved, you know?"

"Yes," Usopp said as he returned to being deeply moved, "Real comrades give each other strength and...and...and…-"

"Well, that's great and all but...," Luffy interrupted.

"Oy! You're the one who asked and don't ruin such a beautiful story! Clench your teeth and shut up!" Usopp snapped and punched Luffy in the face but the rubber boy was unfazed.

He grabbed Usopp by the wrist and threw him to the other side of the room. "Like I said, I wanna go to the sky island, old guy!"

"You're a hasty one," Cricket chuckled, "Like I told you, the witness to the sky island is that Noland the Liar. I must warn you, if you have anything to do with him, you'll be laughed at like me."

"I don't care," Luffy stated.

Cricket smirk grew deeper and the reached over to a nearby bookshelf. He took out a tattered, leather bound book and opened it up in this lap.

"Did he write about sky island? Did he actually see it?!" Nami asked, recognizing the book as a captain's logbook.

"Unfortunately, this doesn't say he did, but…," Cricket said and then when he found the page he was looking for, he handed it to the navigator, "Read that."

"Amazing...a logbook from 400 years ago," Nami said and then read from the book, "'Sea Ephemris Year 1120, June 21st, Sunny. We left Villa, a cheerful town. Following the Log Pose, we should be heading east-northeast from the harbor. We got a rare item from a bumboat that we came across the other day. It's a ski-like one-person boat called a waver. It's a mysterious boat that can generate wind and move even on a day without wind. It seems that you need time and practice before you get the hang of controlling it. Right now, it's become a perfect toy for my crew.' Ooh! That sounds so cool! I want one!"

"Who cares? Keep reading!" Usopp, Chopper, and Luffy exclaimed.

"'The power for this seems to be a product found only on the sky island'," Nami continued, "'And I hear that many peculiar things are used up on the sky island. Speaking of which, one of my explorer friends showed me a live skyfish. I was surprised at how strange the skyfish looked. To our crew, the sky island is part of an unknown sea but as a sailor, I'd like to go to the sea in the sky one day.'"

"It's just like Robin said!" Emmy breathed, "A sea in the sky!"

"And it sounds like the sky island wa sa pretty normal thing for people back then," Usopp pointed out.

"It really does exist! Hurray!" Chopper cheered.

"Eh? Where is Robin any way?" Emmy asked as she looked around the room, "Now that I think about it, she didn't even come in with us when we brought in Cricket-san...Wiat...Where did Cricket-san go?"

"Eh?"

They looked around and saw that the old man was not in his bed, but instead walking over to discuss something with the two monkey brothers. Whatever they were saying must be important but exciting because Emmy could see that while Cricket-san's expression was solemn, the two monkey brothers' grins were getting bigger and bigger with each word.


	73. I am Hunting

_In the big city it was so crowded with houses and people that few found room for even a small garden and most people had to be content with a flowerpot, but two poor children who lived there managed to have a garden that was a little bigger than a flowerpot. These children were not brother and sister, but they loved each other just as much as if they had been._

A breath caught in Emmy's chest as she re-read that last line. She was sitting in the quietest corner she could find in the room. Given that the house was just one big open space, the best place she could find was a space between Cricket's bookshelf and desk. She sat on the floor and read the book Robin picked out for her while the rest of her nakama drank and feasted with Cricket and the two scavenging apes. The archaeologist, herself, was sitting on the other side of the bookshelf and reading Noland's log book. She was far enough as not to disturb the first mate but also within reach if there were words the first mate had a hard time to recognize. And there were many.

 _These children…,_  Emmy thought to herself,  _They're just like me and Luffy…_

"I saw gold...in the skull's right eye."

Emmy blinked and looked over at the archaeologist. Cricket had went to Robin and he peered over the book to deliver his speech in an ominous manner.

Everyone fell silent as Robin lowered her book.

"Gold?" she asked.

Cricket shrugged and turned to the rest of the room. "That tear soaked sentence was the last thing Noland wrote. 'I saw gold in the skull's right eye'. Noland was executed that same day. Even after coming to Jaya, those words make no sense to me at all…'The skull's right eye'...Is it referring to the name of a city that once existed? Or was it an allusion to his own death? There's nothing else he wrote that would explain it."

Cricket raised the bottle of wine he was holding. "That's why we dive! We have a dream! On the seafloor!"

"That's right!" the scavenging brothers cheered as they raised their mugs to toast their ally.

"Shishishi. And we're gonna fly!" Luffy exclaimed as he shoved a kebab into his mouth, stick and all.

"Luffy!" Emmy yelled out in alarm.

"Ow!" Luffy cried as the sharp stick poked him inside his mouth. He pulled it out and he grinned, "Oops."

"Cricket-san," Robin said politely as she set her book down on her lap, "If you don't think the 'skull's right eye' is here in Jaya, how do you know that Jaya is the place to look?"

Cricket pointed at the book in Robin's lap. "'Entry for May 21, 1122. The day I arrived on Jaya,'" he recited, "'Upon landing on the island, we heard strange bird calls and the sound of a very large bell coming from the forest. The sound from that huge gold bell resonated far and wide, almost as if showing off the prosperity of a city long past. We thought we knew everything after living for a few decades...but experiencing the transience of this civilization that flourished for a long on the the wide open sea left us speechless! The sound of the bell had us stopped in our tracks.'"

"Wow...a huge gold bell?!" Nami exclaimed.

Cricket went to a chest on the other side of the room and retrieved three things, each wrapped in a soft green cloth. They were no bigger than a jar. When he pulled off the cloths, three gold bells gleamed under the light.

"Wow. Look at that!" Usopp marvelled and then he tilted his head to the side, "But...I thought Noland said it was a giant bell...How is this giant?"

"These aren't the bell Noland writes about. They're bell shaped ingots," Cricket said, "We found these on the seafloor."

"Ingots?" Chopper asked.

"Oh! So there really is a city of gold!" Luffy said.

"That doesn't prove that," Shojo corrected, "You could find that much gold in any old ruins."

"But it does prove that there was a civilization in this area," Robin said, "Ingots are made to have standardized weights, which means they were used for trade."

"Yes," Cricket said as he brought another bundle from the chest. This one was lumpier than the others and was the size of a foot stool. When he took off the cloth, he revealed a golden statue of a bird.

"Wow! There's more?!" Nami exclaimed, "It's so pretty! And huge!"

"So the old bell and the strange birds...Do you suppose they were the symbols of old Jaya?" Sanji asked.

"Dunno but they were part of some model. This here's called a South Bird and they still exist on this island," Cricket said.

"Oh! And they have a weird call?" Luffy asked.

"Yeah. Just like the book said," Cricket said as he gave the statue a polish with the cloth.

"South Birds are fascinating animals," Mashira said, "Sailors have been using them for decades to-"

He stopped short and exchanged a look of horror with his brother. Sweat beaded down their face as the same thought occured to Cricket.

"Oh crap!" they exclaimed in unison.

"What? What's the matter?" Luffy demanded as everyone go to their feet.

"This is bad," Cricket yelled, "You guys! Go into the forest. The southern forest!"

"Huh? Why? What're you talking about?" Luffy asked.

"Go catch this bird! Right now!" Cricket said as he pointed to the statue, "Listen closely! The Knock-Up stream you're heading for tomorrow is located directly south of this cape. This bird is our only way of getting there. They have an instinctual and accurate draw to magnetic south, which allow them to get their bearings. South Birds will always indicate the direction accurately. WIthout those birds, there's no way we can navigate south to the Knock-Up Stream and if we miss it, you all can't get to Sky Island."

Realization clicked into the pirates' heads and they scrambled for the door.

"Why are you telling us this  _now_?!" Luffy exclaimed as he ran out towards the forest.

"Don't forget these!" Cricket called as he handed Emmy and Robin three poles with nets on their ends, "We're going to get started on your beat-up ship."

"Thank you! We'll be back soon," Emmy said as she gave a quick bow and then scrambled off to catch up with the others.

"Listen! Make sure you catch at least one South Bird before dawn!" Cricket called after them.

"We will!" Emmy replied back.

The moon barely shed any light through the dense forest trees and the long vines that hung from the branches casted webbed shadows along the ground. It was hard to see no matter which direction they looked. Sanji, Zoro, and Luffy each had a net in their hands and they led the way while everyone else lingered behind.

"I ate too much," Chopper admitted as he rubbed his belly, "I don't think I can chase birds."

"Where  _are_ those weird birds?" Luffy asked with a frown.

"Let's just catch one quickly so we can get back to drinking," Zoro growled, "Emmy! Aren't you good with animals? Get up in front!"

"Oy!" Sanji snapped, "Don't just stick Emmy-chan out there if we don't know what else lives in this forest!"

"Where are those birds?!" Luffy asked again as he looked over to his nakama.

"If we knew where they were, we wouldn't' be out looking for them!" Zoro yelled.

"All we know is that it has a weird call," Emmy said, "Although, I'll admit that is a vague description. What is a weird call?"

"I guess we'll know it when we hear it," Robin replied with a patient smile.

_Juuuuuuuuuuu!_

"Eh?! A weird call!" Chopper and Usopp exclaimed as everyone looked around the canopy to see if they could spot the source.

"Yosh!" Luffy said with a grin.

Zoro smirked. "I guess we have no choice."

"We have three nets so we'll split into three groups and search," Sanji said, "Nami-san, Robin-chan, Emmy-chan with me and-"

"No. Emmy's coming with me," Zoro said and stepped towards the cook, "The bird will no doubt come after Emmy and I'll be able to catch the bird faster than you."

"Huh?! How's that?!" Sanji barked.

Zoro sliced his pole through the air. "This is basically a sword. I'm more equipped to use this than you are. What are you going to do? Kick the bird?"

"Erm...guys…?" Usopp said hesitantly.

Sanji and Zoro glared at the sniper. "What?!"

"Emmy's already gone with Robin," Nami said as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Ugh! What?!" Zoro yelled, "Those idiots don't even have nets!"

"Oy, you okay with Emmy going off with Robin like that?" Usopp asked as he nudged Luffy with his elbow.

A big grin spread across Luffy's face. "She's having fun, isn't she?"

* * *

"Sounds like everyone's having fun," Robin giggled as the clusters of screams erupted from different parts of the forest.

Emmy pursed her lips as she put a hand to her heart. They weren't feeling any ounce of happiness or joy between the lot of them but she'd rather not worry the newest crew mate.

They had been strolling through the forest for hours now and though they had attracted quite a few animals, none of which was the type they sought. They walked amongst a herd of wild boars, who bumped into one another in an effort to brush their head against Emmy's palm.

_Juuuuu! Juuuu!_

"I hear it," Robin sighed, "But I still don't see it."

"I can't even tell if they're close or far away," Emmy said with a frown, "Their call carries through the trees like the wind. I've never tried to catch a bird before. This is so much harder than hunting for meat back on Mount Colubo."

"Well, to be fair we're not actually hunting," Robin said thoughtfully, "We're merely trying to track one down. Do you think any of the others have caught one yet?"

"I doubt it. They're all either frustrated or freaked out by something," Emmy admitted and then she smiled down at a pig that was nuzzling her hand with his snout, "I can't imagine what though. This forest is filled with wonderful creatures."

Robin put a hand to her chin. "Does your power attract animals?"

Emmy began to pat the pig on the head. "I think so. Chopper says that I have a nice and comforting presence. Maybe that's why they are all here. For comfort…I guess even animals can get lonely."

"Yes…" Robin said and then turned her attention back to the trees.

Emmy stared at the back of the archaeologist and wondered just how long she had been travelling all by herself. Robin liked to be left alone, no doubt about that, but there was such a deep, intense pool of solitude within her that Emmy could not imagine it was there by choice.

"Maybe we should go find the others," Emmy said, "Perhaps we can regroup and figure out a new strategy."

Robin gave her suggestion a thought and then she turned to smile at the first mate. "I agree. Perhaps all their screaming and shouting has lured the South Bird over to them. I've read that there are some birds out there who are mischievous by nature."

As they turned and backtracked their steps, Robin noticed the bulge in Emmy's apron pocket. "How are you enjoying the story, Little Pirate?"

"It's wonderful," Emmy replied and her hand went down to touch a corner of it, "I only just finished the first chapter about the goblin and the magic mirror. I wonder if the brother and sister will have to defeat the goblin and piece the mirror back together. Although, I don't know how they'd be able to if some of the bits are no bigger than a grain of sand...And I wonder what that has to do with the Snow Queen. Her name is the title, after all. Is she the goblin? Or is she the sister?"

A warmth spread within Robin that made Emmy stop and look at the archaeologist. "That's the beauty of reading," Robin said and although her expression was blank, her eyes were twinkling, "It opens your mind to so many things."

"I can see why you love books so much," Emmy said, "Each story is an adventure."

"Yes...Yes, it is," Robin agreed.

"Ooh! Emmy-chwan! Robin-chwa-AAHHH! What the hell are those things?!"

"EEK! Gross! Get them away from us, Prude!"

Finally, Robin and Emmy spotted something up in the trees but they weren't birds.

"Nami? Sanji? What are you guys doing up there?" Emmy asked at her two nakama, who were clinging onto a branch.

"There's so many bugs here! It's disgusting!" Nami cried.

"There were swarms of them! I couldn't fight them off and protect Nami-san at the same time," Sanji said dejectedly.

"Were there really?" Emmy asked, "We didn't see any bugs...or birds, for that matter. Just these pigs."

"Ugh, I should've gone with you guys. Robin, why didn't you take me too?" Nami moaned as she found the courage to climb down the tree. Maybe their lucky streak would rub off on her and she wouldn't see any more monstrous insects.

"Sorry, navigator-san," Robin said with a smile, "Maybe next time."

"No...no more next time," Nami wailed as she got to the ground, followed soon by Sanji, "I just want to find the bird and get out of here!"

"Same…" came a low growl.

They turned to see Zoro and Usopp coming through the shrubs. Their pants were dirty and there were smudges all along their faces and shirts.

"What happened to you guys?" Nami asked.

"There are so many quagmires in this forest," Zoro seethed, "We saw a bird but then we kept falling into these stupid bogs while chasing after it."

"Actually," Usopp sighed, "We kept falling into the same one. I swear that bird was just going in circles."

"Oh good. There you guys are," Chopper panted as he practically dragged his sweat covered body towards the group with Luffy trailing behind him.

"Why do you look so tired?" Emmy asked.

"We've been running away from bees. There's so many bees here!" Luffy panted as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Yeesh...Seven people and no bird? Get it together, you guys!" Usopp scolded.

"Hey, that includes you!" Sanji snapped.

_Juuuuuu!_

This time the call was much closer than Emmy had ever heard it. The bird was perched on the branch right over their heads and she could finally see it. It was a purple and green bird with an oversized beak and its feathers poked out the back of its head in the shape of a fishtail. The way it opened its beak made it look like it was smiling.

_Juuuuuu!_

"'You really think you can catch us? Idiots!'" Chopper translated.

"Is it mocking us?" Emmy gasped as she watched the bird hop around on the branch, "That's not very nice."

"Oh good," Robin said calmly and she crossed her arms in front of her. Two arms sprouted from the sides of the bird and they wrapped itself around it, pinning its wings down. A third arm appeared out of the branch and tossed the bird down onto the ground. Robin smiled as she looked kindly down at the frazzled bird, "All I needed was to see one."

_Juuuuu!_

"Whew! We can finally leave this stupid forest," Nami said as everyone else's shoulder slumped down in relief.

"Yosh!" Luffy shouted as he thrust his hands up in the air, "Let's go back to old diamond-head and continue our feast. Feast! Feast! Feast!"

"Oy! They'll be busy fixing up Merry!" Usopp cried as the captain happily marched off towards the shore.

Emmy held the South Bird in her arms with Robin's arms still binding it down. "I'm sorry, South Bird-san, but we'd really need your help," she said gently while walking behind the group.

_Juuuuuu!_

"Please don't be frightened or angry," Emmy said, "I promise I'll take good care of you and we'll set you free as soon as we can."

_Juuuuu!_

"It'll be fun! I promise!"

By the time they were out of the forest, the bird's calls seemed to be more disgruntled than angered by the situation. He stopped fighting against both Robin and Emmy's hold and instead of glaring at anyone who dared to look in his direction, his eyes were closed.

"Old guy! We caught the bird!" Luffy announced as soon as they saw the roof of old man's house. There was no reply. In fact, there was no sound at all. No tinkering of boards being secured along the Merry. No chatter amongst the scavenging brothers. Nothing.

"Oy! Something's off!" Sanji said, immediately sensing the unusual silence, "Come on!"

They all raced towards the house and when they arrived, Emmy almost dropped the bird they spent so long trying to catch. The old man laid splayed out on the grass with blood and bruises covering his entire body. Masira laid several feet away with his face down and a deep gash running across his back while Shojo floated in the water with his mouth agape and his eyes rolled to the back of his head.

Quickly, the pirates sprang into action. Sanji leapt into the water to retrieve Shojo while Chopper went to Mashira. Nami and Usopp went to the house, which was missing the entire back wall, to check for any additional damage or clues to what had happened. Zoro and Luffy went to Cricket.

"Old diamond-head! What happened?!" Luffy demanded to the unconscious body.

Only Emmy and Robin stood still, silently observing and processing the scene. "Robin?," Emmy whispered, "Who would do such a-"

_Little Miss…?_

Emmy gasped at the delicate plea from inside her head. She shoved the bird into Robin's hands and ran down the shore towards the ship in a panic. Merry had never sounded so weak...or so scared.

"Merry-san!" Emmy screamed at the sight of their ship.

The bow was completely torn off from the rest of the ship and Merry's head was embedded deep into the ground. The mass hung over the broken ship. It's base detached from its base and the flag at its tip hung in surrender. Emmy flung her arms around the figurehead and cradled Merry in her arms. She pressed her cheek against the cold painted wood and cried. "Merry-san? What happened?" she whimpered, "Who did this?"

"What the hell? Dammit! Who did this?!" Usopp yelled with fury as he raced towards them.

"Merry-san...Tell us who did this. Please...Please tell us," Emmy whispered.

_A man...a cruel, laughing man…_

"Old guy! You're awake!"

Luffy's shout made Emmy lift her head up but she kept her hands tightly on the ship. "Thank you, Merry-san," Emmy said. Her voice quivered with rage.

"You know who did this?" Usopp asked.

Emmy nodded as she clenched her fists and stormed back to the house with her head lowered. Her hair fell over her face and her tears ran hot and wild down her face, drenching the ends of her hair. When she and the sniper joined the rest of the group, she was still trembling.

"Luffy! The gold, it's gone! Someone must've stolen it," Nami yelled as she ran out of the house.

"Nah, it's alright...Forget about that junk," Cricket coughed as he sat up from his seat.

"What?! Junk?!" Usopp exclaimed, "It took you ten long years of diving into the ocean and torturing your body to find that gold. You can't just-"

"Quiet!" Cricket commanded, "It's alright...That's  _our_ problem. The more important thing is that the Saruyama Alliance can fix your ship and still get it ready in time for morning if we start working now. Listen, we  _will_  send you into the sky, without fail!"

"Old-timer…" Usopp whispered.

"You...you can fix her?" Emmy asked with her head still down and her fists shaking at her side, "You can fix Merry-san?"

"Ah," Cricket said, "And make her stronger than ever."

"Oy...Emmy-chan...Are you…?" Sanji asked as he cautiously took a step towards the first mate, "Are you alright?"

Emmy lifted her head and to the cook and her nakama's relief, her eyes were still their usual blue and she didn't look like she had lost control again. However, her tears were enough to break Sanji's heart.

"B-Bellamy…" she choked out as she cried directly towards the captain, "Luffy...Bellamy did this."

"What?!" Nami gasped, "How do you know?"

"Merry-san told me," Emmy said, with her attention still on Luffy.

"Ah. Emmy's right," Zoro grunted. He tossed a broken tree branch to the side so they could see the Bellamy Pirate's mark spray painted to the side of the house.

"Bellamy's mark," Nami whispered.

"Want help?" Zoro asked.

Luffy adjusted the hat on his head and he shook his head. "No. Emmy and I will go alone."

"No! Luffy! Don't be stupid! We set sail in only three hours!" Nami protested.

Luffy turned towards Robin, ignoring the navigator. "If I run along the coast, will I reach the town from this afternoon?"

Robin nodded. "Yes."

Cricket tried to get to his feet but he was too weak to stand, which only frustrated him more. "Oy! Kid! Don't be a fool. Do you know who you're dealing-"

The sounds of Luffy cracking his knuckles broke off the old man's protest. "Come on, Emmy," Luffy said as he reached out a hand towards the first mate, who wiped her final tears with her apron and took his hand. She took out the book in her apron pocket and gave it to her nearest nakama, Sanji.

"We'll be back by morning," she promised.

"Oy...Are they really going to be okay? Just the two of them?" Cricket asked as Chopper started to bandage him up.

"He can't be stopped now," Zoro said as he sat down and adjusted his swords.

"Ah. Those idiots committed the ultimate sin for Luffy without even knowing it," Sanji agreed as he lit a cigarette.

Cricket raised an eyebrow. "Ultimate sin?"

Sanji slowly exhaled, savoring the smoke, and nodded. "Ah. Those fools made Emmy-chan cry."


	74. I am Worth More

Emmy did not falter and she matched Luffy step by step as they raced down the coastline together. They said nothing to each other with only a few angered cursing from the captain every now and then. Even though this was the longest distance she ever had to run, Emmy did not feel tired in the slightest. With each step she took, only one thought rang in her head.

_How dare they?!_

How dare they laugh and mock at anyone who sets out to achieve a dream? How dare they attack Cricket-san and take away his most precious treasure? How dare they look down at his life's work?!

And to drag the Going Merry into this?

_How dare they?!_

"There it is," Luffy said as they arrived on the outskirts of Mock Town.

"I'll take the streets. You take the sky," Emmy said.

"Ah." Luffy shot out his arms. He grabbed onto the nearest rooftop and shot out towards the center of the town.

Emmy went straight for the pub. There was a strong chance that she would find the pirates there and if not, at least it was situated on the main street so she figured the pirates would at least be close by. As she rounded the corner and started to run down the main road, she heard Luffy's voice erupt across the sky.

"BELLAMY! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

She looked up and saw that the rubber boy stood on the roof of a watchtower. It was the highest point in the city. From down the block, there was a swell of crashing glass and men crying out in fear before it all stopped abruptly. Everything stilled, including Emmy. The noise had come from the pub.

The doors swung open and sure enough, Bellamy came through it with his blue cloak billowing from the chilly night breeze.

"I just heard the rumors about you," Bellamy cackled as he eyed the rubber boy, "You've got business with me?"

"Ah! Give back old diamond-head's gold!" Luffy demanded.

"Gold?" Bellamy laughed, "You mean old man Cricket's stuff?"

He crouched down on the ground and then suddenly, his legs turned to springs and he launched himself up onto the same roof as Luffy in just one single bound.

 _Devil Fruit..._ Emmy thought and then her eyes trailed towards the pub that Bellamy had just left. She went over to it and just as she was about to go through the swinging doors, two of Bellamy's men came out. They froze when they saw her and their face went pale.

"I-I-I-It's-," one of them stammered.

They reeked of fear and Emmy was not sure why but at that moment, she did not care.

"Please get out of my way," she said as she pushed past them.

It turns out there was a whole crowd of them behind the two. All of them wanted to come out to see what was going on but they parted instantly when they saw Emmy, giving her a clear shot of who she was looking for.

She folded her hands in front of her and she locked eyes with the smirking man in the fur coat, the one that had offered to buy Nami and her off of Luffy.

"So you found us," he said. His lips twisted even more into a smug, condescending smile, "Are you here to scare us now that we know your 'strength'?"

He used air quotes on the last word and then his hands went to his belly as he let out a roaring laugh. "Do you honestly think we'd be fooled by those fake bounties?! 100 million dollars for that runt of kid? Are you kidding me? And the bounty for  _you_?!"

Around her, the fearful silence turned to nervous laughter and then as they gained more and more courage at Emmy's lack of response, the crowd soon joined in on the fur coat's glee.

"Look at her. There's no way!"

"Ha! To think we'd fall for that. We must really be drinking too much tonight!"

"B-B-B-B-But, Sarkis," a man with a pointy black hat and alcohol-reddened nose pushed his way to the front with a stack of papers trembling in his hands, "But if these wanted posters are real…?!"

Sarkis seemed unfazed by this while the crowd went back to a nervous laugh. Sarkis pointed at Emmy. "Does that really look like someone worth 50 million bellis? Does that look like someone worth almost the same as Bellamy?!" he demanded.

"Is that how you judge someone?" Emmy asked quietly, "By how much their bounty is? Is that how you judge someone's worth?"

Sarkis scoffed. "Money is the only thing that is valuable in this world. People, who chase anything else is in the world, are fools!"

"I'd prefer to think I'm worth more than just money," Emmy said slowly, "I think a person should be judged by what they find worth fighting for."

"Money is the only thing worth fighting for!"

Emmy smoothed her apron. "Then let's talk money. Please hand over Cricket-san's gold and also I request monetary compensation for the damage you've done to our ship, Merry-san."

"Pwahahaha. You're an even bigger fool than I realized," Sarkis laughed, "You think I'm going to hand over  _our_ treasure just because you asked for it?! Just because you said 'please'?! Don't you realize what being a pirate means? We took that gold and now it's ours! And you want MORE for your pathetic little ship?!"

Emmy had to take a moment to keep her rage in check. Sure, she would very much like to knock them all to sleep in one sweep, but she had served these arrogant types enough to know exactly what a crushing blow would be to them. She took a deep breath and smoothed out her apron. "Very well. I'll look for it myself."

"Like hell you will!" Sarkis yelled. He snapped his fingers and the Bellamy Pirates enclosed around her.

_Thwack!_

"Ah!"

"Where'd she go?!"

_Thwack!_

Every grab was met with only air. Every punch was landed on a member of their own crew. Emmy was small enough, trained enough, and they were drunk enough for her to completely side step, duck, and maneuver through the crowd, under the tables and chair, and look around the bar for the gold without much trouble.

When she got out of the crowd completely and to the other side of the room, Sarkis was waiting for her with a large curved knife in hand. He did not look amused anymore and he scowled at Emmy.

"This ends now," he said as he came running at her with his sword.

_Shing! Shing! Shing!_

"Slow," Emmy said as she moved away from knife with minimal effort and then she looked down at his feet, "And poor footwork."

"What?!" Sarkis yelled. He took a few steps back and then begun to swing his sword wildly in circles, like a deadly propeller, "Take this!"

As he moved away, Emmy saw a corner of a bulging cloth bag behind him. "Oh. Is that it?" she asked as he came at her with his spinning knife.

"DIE!" he yelled.

_Thwack!_

Emmy ducked right under his arm, just as his blade came arcing down towards where she was just standing. She moved to the bag and untied the top while Sarkis' knife lodged firmly into the wooden floorboards.

"Oh good. It's all here," she said with relief when she saw the gleaming golden bells and the statue of the South Bird. There were also some coins and jewelry lining the bottom of the bag, "I hope that's enough for ship supplies…"

"Why you…" Sarkis snarled as he yanked free his knife and turned to slice Emmy down her back.

"Enough!" Emmy said as she calmly turned and put her palms out, "Feel Feel...PUSH!"

"Wha-?!" Sarkis flew across the room and landed right in the middle of the still fighting crowd. His knife dropped out of his hands and rolled under a table with a heavy clang.

The room instantly stilled again and everyone gaped at Emmy, who stood unscathed with the bag of gold in her hand.

"Devil Fruit! I told you! I told you they were strong!" the man with the posters said, "W-W-We need to get out of here!"

Emmy took one step forward and the crowd jerked back in fright. Then they all raced for the door, pushing each other and swarmed out onto the streets. Only Sarkis remained in the middle of the pub, sprawled out and pale in the face.

"AHHH!"

_Boom!_

A heavy crash rang out in the street and Emmy looked towards the door. "Luffy..."

Sarkis clammered to his feet and he glared at Emmy. "Y-Y-You might have some sort of power but there's no way you or that runt could be stronger than Bellamy! Once he's done pulverizing your captain, he's going to come for you! You don't stand a chance!"

He ran out of the pub and Emmy slowly followed with the bag in hand.

She stood right outside the door while everyone else was gathered on the street. Debris and dust were settling in the air with Luffy at the middle with his hat hanging off the back of his neck. He dusted off his shirt and glared up at Bellamy, who stood at the top of a church tower.

"That didn't kill you, did it?" Bellamy laughed, "It's too soon to kick the bucket! My show's just getting to the good part! Spring...Hopper!"

He crouched down once again and then sprang off the roof at breakneck speed towards the street. However, instead of attacking Luffy, he bounced off the ground several feet away from the rubber boy, only to launch himself right into another nearby tower. His speed and force increased with every bounce off of a surface until he was nothing more than a whipping wind, completely invisible to the naked eye.

"Ah! It's begun!" one of his men gasped.

"He did this when Roshio the Executioner was killed!" another man gasped.

"Come to think of it, that old geezer and the giant apes are just like you," Bellamy cackled as he continued to pick up speed, "You're all from a clan of morons that believe in some fish tale told by some guy 400 years ago. A city gold? A sky island? The era of dreams is over, you pathetic excuse for pirates!"

"It's over," Sarkis grinned as he grabbed Emmy by the neck and forced her to look on. Whatever doubt he had was already wiped out by the confidence in his captain. However, Emmy made no attempt to break herself free from his hold.

"Ah," she said, feeling the rage in her bond. Luffy had had enough as well.

He lifted his fist and cracked his knuckles. "You asked me if I knew how to throw a punch…" he said.

"So long, Straw Hat!" Bellamy laughed as he came straight for the rubber boy like he was shot right from the most powerful cannon in the world.

"AAAAHHHH!" Luffy yelled as he punched Bellamy down to the ground in one single blow.

_Thwack!_

The crater from Bellamy's fall was ten times the size of the one Luffy had caused when he was thrown down to the street. There was also a fist shaped dent along Bellamy's temple. Blood dripped from Luffy's fist but it was not from him. Slowly, the rubber boy reached up and placed his hat back on his head.

"O-O-Oy…" Sarkis said shakily. His fingers trembled against Emmy's skin, "You're just joking, right, Bellamy? Quit playing around...Get up! Say something!"

Luffy turned abruptly and he looked directly at Sarkis. His eyes narrowed when he saw what Sarkis was still holding on to.

"Ah!" Sarkis gasped as he let go of Emmy and stumbled back through the doors of the pub.

Luffy tilted his head and then a grin broke out that stretched from ear to ear. "Emmy! You got the gold?"

"Ah, it's all here," Emmy said with a nod, "And some payment for Merry-san's repairs too."

Luffy walked over to Emmy and he took the bag from her hands. He easily lifted it up and swung it behind his back. He used his other free hand to hold hers. "Shishishi. Let's go then. How much time do you think we have left before morning?"

Emmy frowned up at the crescent moon as they walked down the street. Whoever didn't flee from the scene made no attempt to stop them. "I'd say...another hour and a half?"

"Perfect! So we have time!"

"Time for what?" Emmy asked.

"Wh-wh-where do you think you're going?!" The trembling Sarkis rushed out of the pub and pointed at the two of them with shaking legs and his knife in hand. "Y-You're just rookies. This...this was all a fluke! Come back and fight. Bring it on!"

The Monkeys stopped and both looked over their shoulders at him.

"Where are we going?" Luffy asked as he raised his blood covered fists.

"Eek!" Sarkis gasped as he fell back on his feet.

Luffy pointed upwards and he grinned. "Sky Island!"

As they walked away, the remaining pirates of the Bellamy Crew rushed towards Sarkis and the fallen Bellamy. The drunken man with the papers now shoved them into Sarkis' face.

"I told you. I told you!" the man blustered, "Look at their bounties! Look how easily they defeated Bellamy and got our gold! We never stood a chance against them."

"W-We...we never stood a chance?" Sarkis repeated.

"That kid just took out Bellamy in one punch and that girl didn't even bother fighting us!" the man shouted.

_I think a person should be judged by what they find worth fighting for._

The blonde's words came back to Sarkis and realization dawned on him. She didn't even find  _him_  worth fighting against. He wasn't a worthy opponent. In fact, to her, he was worth nothing at all.

* * *

"Where the heck are they? It's already morning!" Nami seethed as she glared at the sea, dazzling and sparkling from the sun's reflection. The sun was getting higher with every passing second but there was no sign of either of the Monkeys, "It's 46 minutes past the agreed time. It'll take him longer to come back because of all that heavy gold and the Prude would be slowing him down too! Geez. I bet Luffy didn't even consider any of that when he left."

"I doubt he considered the time at all," Usopp said.

"For sure," Sanji agreed, "But Emmy-chan is responsible. Surely she would be able to keep him on track."

"Then why aren't they here?!" Nami demanded.

"Do you suppose he was beaten in town?" Chopper asked.

"If he was, he'll get a second beating from me," Nami seethed.

Zoro rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't put it past you."

"Oyyyyyyy!"

"Everyone! Sorry we're late!"

The pirates turned towards their waving captain and first mate, who were running to them at full speed. As they got closer, their nakama could see that Luffy had a heavy bag slung over his shoulder while waving his free hand high in the air.

"It's them! Thank goodness they're back," Mashira said with a grin.

"Luffy! Emmy-chan! Hurry! We're behind schedule!" Sanji called out.

"I told you, Luffy," Emmy said dejectedly when they reunited with their group and she bowed her head, "I'm so sorry. I tried to rush Luffy but he insisted on-"

"Look what I got!" Luffy cheered as he showed them what he was clutching in his hand, "It's a Hercules! Took us forever to find one!"

"YOU WERE LOOKING FOR A BEETLE?!" Usopp seethed.

"Yeah. It was fun! Right, Emmy?" Luffy grinned.

"...Yes," she said with a sheepish smile.

"I told you we could've caught one earlier if you went with me instead of Robin to look for that bird," Luffy said with a frown, "This is why you shouldn't just run off. Who knows what we could've caught?! Hercules, Atlas, Titans-"

"Why are we still talking about beetles?!" Nami exclaimed.

Emmy let out a gasp and she pointed towards the sea. "Look, Luffy!" she cried, "Merry-san!"

"Whoa! Awesome!" Luffy cheered.

The Going Merry was now completely intact. The mast stood strong and tall again. The bow showed no signs of being broken in the first place and even the figurehead looked like it had received a fresh coat of white paint. Not just that, the ship now had wooden wings sprouting out from it's deck and a red rooster crown attached the figure head.

"It's the Going Merry Flying Model!" Usopp announced.

"FLYING?!" Luffy shouted with stars in his eyes.

"I KNOW, RIGHT?!" Usopp exclaimed.

Emmy ran to Cricket and she threw her arms around the old man's waist. "Thank you! Thank you so much, Cricket-san. I don't think we can ever repay you for this. You fixed her. You really did."

"Don't thank me…" Cricket said gruffly and pointed at Mashira, Shojo, and their men, "Thank them."

"Of course!" Emmy said as she gave both Mashira and Shoujo a big hug. "Thank you!"

"It was our pleasure," Masira laughed with a blush to his cheeks.

"Don't mention it," Shojo said as he scratched the back of his head.

Emmy was the first one to get back on board the Going Merry. She inspected every floor board, every beam, and every room on the ship, just to make sure all was well. When she was done and returned to the main deck, Luffy waved at her from the shore. "Oy, Emmy! Old diamond-head said he doesn't want the money for the repairs. The gold is enough."

"What? But we need to repay you in some way for your kindness," Emmy protested.

"We're scavengers," Mashira called from the shore, "We get our money from the bottom of the sea."

"Then throw the money into the sea," Emmy suggested.

"Don't you dare!" Nami cried as she ran to Emmy's side and glared down at Luffy, "Don't you dare throw away that money! If they don't want it, we'll keep it! We need some anyways!"

"Well, if you don't want money," Luffy said and pulled out the beetle, "Want my Hercules?"

"Really?! You'll give us that?!" Shojo exclaimed with stars in his eyes.

Nami's jaw dropped. "What?! You'd rather have a beetle than gold?!"

"As long as we repay them in some way," Emmy said with a relieved smile, "I'm just so happy that Merry-san is okay now."

_Yes...Please thank them for me!_

"Merry-san says thank you!" Emmy shouted and was met with confused expressions from the Saruyama Alliance.


	75. I am Flying

"Coat? Umbrella? Gloves? No gloves? Scarf? No scarf?" Emmy held up each item of clothing and laid it out neatly next to each other on the couch. She placed her hand on her hips and pondered her predicament.

What would the climate be on an island in the sky? If they went above the clouds, does that mean there won't be any rain? Would there be rain? Would it be freezing cold or blistering hot?

She would ask their resident weather expert but her bonds showed that Nami was too wound up to be bothered with anything else other then navigating the ship. Shoujo and Mashira had made it clear that the Knock-Up Stream was to be taken very, very seriously.

"Well, just in case," Emmy said aloud and piled up the outerwear together, "I'll keep it close by. We can never be too careful."

Just then the cook came downstairs with his hands stuffed in his pockets. "Emmy-chan," he said solemnly, "It looks like we're approaching those cumuloregalis clouds."

"Already?!" Emmy gasped as she looked at the clock in the room, "Mashira-san said we had until 11 o'clock. It's only 10!"

"Those stupid apes miscalculated. They sent their divers into the water to check the currents," Sanji said, "Stupid Luffy is calling for you to be upstairs. Although, I really think you should stay inside. It might be safe-"

"Yes, of course!" Emmy said as she carefully placed the clothes at the base of the stairs before running up the main deck, "If Luffy needs me then, I'll go up right away."

"Waves discovered going against the current at 10:00!" she heard a diver shout just as she came out to join her nakama. The sky was dark. The sun was completely covered by thick, rumbling clouds. The waves were swelling up higher and higher with every passing second.

"That's it! That's the start of a whirlpool. Catch it! Don't draw back!" Mashira ordered from his ship.

"Hang on to something, guys!" Nami shouted as the Going Merry rocked violently with the pushing waves.

"Kyah!"

"Emmy-chan!"

If it wasn't for the cook's reflexes, Emmy would've fell back through the door and down the stairs. With one hand gripping the railing and the other holding her by the waist, Sanji was able to keep both of them balanced underneath the door frame,

"What the hell?! The waves suddenly got higher!" Usopp shouted as he and Chopper gripped the railing on one side of the ship.

"Brace yourselves. This is the earthquake before the explosion!" Shoujo warned from his ship.

"Ex-Explosion?!" Usopp shrieked.

From the mast of the ship, Robin called down to Nami. "Navigator-san! What does the Log Pose say?!"

Nami, who stood near the figurehead, glanced down at her wrist and then looked directly up at the sky. "It's pointing straight up! Right at those clouds!"

A rolling thunder rolled through the clouds and misty rain soon followed. They could feel the ship beginning to sail downwards like it was skiing down a very steep slope. The wind blew the rain into their faces and it made it hard for Emmy to keep her eyes open.

"Get ready! We're about to reach the whirlpool!" Mashira called out.

"I don't see it!" Luffy announced with disappointment from the bow.

"Don't worry. We'll take you to the inner part of the whirlpool!" Shoujo said.

"Then what? What do we do after that?" Nami asked.

"Catch the stream. If you can get to the center of the whirlpool, things should work out," Mashira said.

"What?! Nobody said anything about being sucked into a WHIRLPOOL!" Nami shrieked.

"But what whirlpool?!" Luffy demanded with annoyance, "I don't see any-...Ohhhhh."

As the Going Merry rode up and over another bulging wave, everyone could see a raging whirlpool waiting for them at the base. The mouth of it was so wide and deep that it looked like it was capable of draining the entire sea into the center of the earth.

"Don't worry, Emmy-chan! Robin-chan! Nami-san!" Sanji called out with still a firm grip on Emmy, "Whatever happens. I'll protect you!"

"This is bad! This is bad! Abort mission. ABORT MISSION! I want out!" Usopp cried.

"Just accept it, Usopp," Zoro growled as he calmly walked towards the bow and held onto the railing with just one hand, "Someone else is already too excited to change his mind."

"Let's go! Sky Island!" Luffy cheered with all his might.

"At least...at least the ship has stopped rocking," Emmy said brightly as she felt the floor begin to steady itself. The wind was picking up speed but at least she could stand herself up without any support, "That's something, right?"

"That means we're circling the drain!" Usopp screeched as they watched themselves sail past Mashira and Shoujo, who were now anchored safely outside the whirlpool's pull, "We're going to go doooowwwn! This is the end!"

"Alright then," Mashira and SHoujo said as they waved to the pirates, "This is it. Good luck!"

Emmy went to the stern of the ship and waved back at them. "Thank you! Good-bye!"

However, the sniper did not share in her sentiment and he pushed her out of the way to point an accusing finger at the scavengers. "You lied to us, you jerk! This things gonna kill us! What kind of scam are you trying to pull here?!"

"Don't be rude," Emmy said with a disapproving frown.

"OY! You two, get back over here or at least hang onto something!" Zoro barked at them.

"Eh?"

The sniper and first mate turned towards the front of the ship just as it started to tip over the edge of the whirlpool. The water was gone and in its place was a sea of nothingness.

"We're getting sucked in!" Usopp screeched as he and Emmy held tightly to the railing.

_Splash!_

A strong tide emerged out of nowhere and pushed the Going Merry forward and out of the water, towards the void.

"AH! This is it! We're going to die!" Nami wailed.

Emmy squeezed her eyes shut and focused on the beaming excitement exuding from Luffy's bonds rather than the sheer panic and terror coming from not just the other's but herself as well. The wind howled pass her ears as she felt herself falling straight down.

"LUF-," Emmy started to scream but the sudden impact of the ship into water cut her right off. She was jostled off her feet and lifted into the air. When she landed, it was a surprisingly gentle fall and it was on her feet. The wind disappeared and when Emmy opened her eyes, she saw nothing but still water and dark clouds. There were barely any waves, let alone the black hole that they were just plummeting to mere seconds ago. What also startled her was that she was now standing right by the captain, who had a big grin on his face.

"Wha-?" Emmy blinked and looked around her, "What happened?"

His grin faded and he tilted his head with a confused look on his face. "I thought you called for me."

"I...I did," Emmy admitted. She realized his arms were wrapped tightly around her, "Well, I started to. When did you-"

"The whirlpool was huge! Where'd it go?!" Usopp called out from behind, finally found the courage to open his eyes, "EEK! WHERE DID EMMY GO?! THE WHIRLPOOL DISAPPEARED AND TOOK EMMY!"

"Emmy's with me!" Luffy shouted, "I grabbed her."

"It's already started," Nami whispered as she walked to be right next to them, "The whirlpool only disappeared from the surface."

"What do you mean?" Emmy asked.

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!"

The pirates turned towards the gruff, unfamiliar voice and watched with confusion as a ship sailed towards them. Although Emmy was no ship expert, she wasn't sure if their vessel actually counted as a ship. It was more of an enlarged raft, made up of four large tree trunks tied together. Sure, it was even bigger than Cricket-san's house, there was no bow, hull, stern, or even figure head. It was just a flat raft with a large mast sticking out from the center with black sails waving a jolly roger consisting of three skulls.

"Zoro...Look," Luffy said as they recognized at least one of the passengers. It was the man with the cherry pies they met at Mock Town. His hold on Emmy tightened.

"I caught up to ya, Straw Hat Luffy!" the man laughed.

"It's him…" Emmy whispered, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

"Who?" Sanji asked as he, Robin, Usopp, and Chopper came up to the bow to get a better look.

"I'm here to collect on your 100 million bounty! Prepare yourself!" the man declared.

"My bounty?" Luffy asked, "What do you mean? 100 million?"

"Oh! I  _knew_  I forgot to mention something…" Emmy said as she clapped her hands to her face.

"Eh? You knew about this?" Luffy said and he grinned, "Is it really 100 million?!"

"Ha! So you really don't know!" the man shouted as he held up three wanted posters, "Here's your newest bounty poster! There's 100 million belli bounty on your head. And 'Pirate Hunter' Zoro worth 60 million and 'Pirate Maid' Monkey D. Emmy worth 50 million!"

"What? Emmy! You got a bounty too?!" Luffy exclaimed.

"It's true," Usopp confirmed as he looked through his binoculars, "Those look genuine to me."

"Wait! What about me?! Surely there's a bounty out for me!" Sanji shouted as he made a grab for the binoculars but the sniper kept possession of it.

"Nope...Nothing," Usopp said.

"Take a closer look," Sanji demanded.

"Your bounties must've gone up after the Alabasta incident," Nami breathed, "But...But why would Emmy have a bounty?"

"Clock tower," Sanji said as he raked a hand through his hair, fighting the feeling of disappointment for not being recognized for his valiant efforts, "It has to be."

"Clock tower?" Usopp asked.

"Marines must've seen her up on that clock tower with Vivi-chan. The power to quell a war is not something the government could just ignore."

"B-But I didn't do anything. It was all because of Vi-," Emmy started to protest but was cut off by being lifted in the air by the captain.

"Woo! Way to go, Emmy! Your initial bounty is higher than mine...And my current bounty is now 100 million!" Luffy cheered and then set her down, "Wahoo! Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I was so concerned with Merry-san and getting Sky Island, it just slipped my mind," Emmy confessed. Her cheeks were getting red by all this unnecessary attention, "But I didn't know about Zoro's bounty, though. Bellamy's men said nothing about that part."

"60 million, huh?" Zoro chuckled as he rubbed his chin, "Thought it would be higher."

"This is not the time to be celebrating!" Nami shouted as the floor began to rumble. Nami looked down at her feet, "Oh no! It's about to start!"

"HERE IT COMES!" Mashira and Shoujo shouted from the distance.

The water beneath them started to bulge upwards, raising the ship slowly like a mountain of water forming right in the middle of the sea.

"Everybody, grab onto something!" Sanji ordered as everyone scrambled to get a secure place.

Luffy grabbed tightly onto the red crown of the Going Merry while his other arm wound even tighter around and around Emmy's waist like a rope, securing her to him. At first, the ship was at the peak of the mound but as it grew and grew, the Going Merry found itself tilting upwards and sliding down towards the sides.

"We're going up!" Luffy cheered.

"No! We're going to fall!" Usopp cried.

_Kaboom!_

The building pressure beneath them erupted all at once, forming a pillar of water rocketing up to the heavens and piercing right through the clouds above. The sheer force pushed the Going Merry along with the current and the pirates soared straight into the sky.

_We're going! We're actually going!_

Emmy couldn't help but laugh at the sheer joy exuding from the ship.

"Alright! Now we can get to Sky Island. Go! Merry!" Luffy cheered.

"Hold on. I don't think it's going to be that easy," Sanji said from his spot near the mast.

"What do you mean?" Emmy asked.

"The hull is starting to float!" Sanji said.

"So?" Luffy asked.

"It means we're losing wind!" Sanji said, "The whole reason we're going upwards is from the sheer force of the Knock-Up Stream. If we lose that force, the only other force we'll have is GRAVITY!"

"So?" Luffy asked again.

"GRAVITY GOES DOWN!" Sanji yelled.

"AH! If this keeps up, we're going to fall to our deaths!" Usopp wailed as he dangled from the railing, "But what are we supposed to do? We can barely even hold on!"

"Merry-san can do this!" Emmy said, "I know she can!"

"Not without help!" Nami called out, "Zoro! Robin! Spread the sails!"

"Huh?"

"This is the sea!" Nami said, "Not just a pillar of water, "It's a rising current and the wind blowing from below is a rising air current produced by a geothermal heat and steam explosion! If we're dealing with wind and sea, then I can navigate it! Leave it to me! Who's this ship's navigator?"

"You are, Nami-swaannnn!" Sanji called out.

"Hurry, everyone! Listen to Nami!" Emmy shouted, "Get the sails!"

"Catch the starboard wind and pull the helm to point! Align the ship to it's current," Nami ordered as Sanji, Zoro, and Robin were the only ones sturdy enough to maneuver around the ship safely.

"Yes, sir!" they yelled.

Even though the ship started to tilt backward and Emmy could feel herself leaving Luffy's side, she did not feel any fear. There was an absolute confidence coming from Nami. She wasn't just barking orders because it was their last chance of survival. She was completely sure of what she was doing and because of that, Emmy felt reassured herself.

"Ah! We're leaving the water!" Chopper exclaimed as he hugged even tighter to the railings.

"We can make it!" Nami asserted.

As the ship ascended from the water, it straightened itself out and the Going Merry sailed unwaveringly up the pillar.

_I'm flying! I'm actually FLYING!_

The tears in Emmy's eyes were masked by the flecks of water that sprayed down on them from the stream. "Go, Merry-san," she whispered, "Go!"

"Shishishishi," Luffy laughed, "TO SKY ISLAND!"

As they climbed higher and higher into the sky, they ripped through the darkened clouds and the air became thinner and cooler The more they ascended, the lighter the sky became until finally they were surrounded by nothing by white, fluffy clouds. Even though the wind slammed into their faces, it was getting very difficult to breathe.

Emmy's head started to spin and no matter how much she opened her mouth or how hard she inhaled through her nose, no air came into her lungs. She couldn't speak. She couldn't think. She could barely see.

When they finally broke through the clouds, they hovered in the air for a brief moment. The wind died under the sails and the ship righted itself before they started to fall downwards. Fortunately, their fall was brief and everyone on the crew was too light-headed from the altitude to even react from the fall or the impact when they splashed down on nothing but a sea of white cloud.

"Is...is everyone okay? What the hell happened?" Zoro gasped with his hands and knees on the floor.

Emmy closed her eyes and tried to take in a breath. It was shallow at first but then with every breath she took, it felt like the airflow became stronger. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself staring at a grinning captain once again.

"Shishishi. You okay?"

Emmy blinked and she nodded. "I think so...You?"

He didn't say anything for a second and kept grinning at her. Then he released Emmy and himself from the figurehead and dashed around the ship. Emmy was still feeling light headed so she collapsed on all fours while she watched the captain sprint around.

"LOOK! EVERYONE, LOOK! Do you guys see what I see?! Everyone, look around you!" Luffy shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Are you even human?" Nami asked with a strangled breath as she got to her feet. Then she gasped when she was able to look overboard, "Wow! We're...we're sailing in the clouds! But how are we staying on them?"

"'Cause it's clouds. Of course, we can sail on clouds," Luffy stated and crossed his arms over his chest, "Everyone knows that."

"Nope. Not true at all," Sanji sighed as he got to his feet.

"We're sailing on a sea of clouds," Emmy said as she clasped her hands in front of her, "It's an ocean…in the sky?!"

Nami frowned and examined her Log Pose. "But...the Log Pose is still pointing upwards."

"Well then, that must mean we're only in the middle section of the clouds," Robin said and gazed up at the sky, where there was still another layer of clouds overhead.

"But how do we get higher?" Chopper asked.

Robin rested her chin in her hand while she leaned over the railing. "Who knows?"

"An ocean in the sky, you say?!" Usopp sighed wistfully as he jumped onto the railing and removed the straps from his overalls. He flexed his biceps and pointed his nose high in the air. "This looks like the job of the world's greatest swimmer, Captain Usopp!"

"You can do it!" Chopper cheered as Luffy gave a shrill whistle of support.

"Oy, oy, oy! Don't be so reckless. This ocean is still a mystery to us," Sanji warned as Usopp fitted his goggles over his eyes.

"The ocean is the ocean! If Merry can sail in this, then I can surely swim in it!" Usopp said as he dove right into the clouds.

"USOPP!" Emmy gasped in horror.

"He's so brave!" Chopper exclaimed.

Emmy bit her lip. "B-B-But...this is so unlike him. Usopp is always so cautious. Did he hit his head on the way up? Oh dear..."

"It could be the altitude change," Robin said as she walked over to the first mate, "The lack of oxygen can affect a person's brain."

"That idiot's not thinking clearly," Zoro grunted, "Luffy! Pull him out as soon as he comes up and we'll knock some sense into him."

"Sure," Luffy said with a shrug. He extended his hands into the white clouds and continuously stretched his arms. The pirates waited in silence for the sniper to emerge from the clouds with anxiety building every second that he was gone. Finally, the swordsman spoke up.

"Oy. Where the hell is he?"

Robin tapped her chin. "I wonder...is there a bottom to this ocean?"

"You don't mean-" the other pirates gasped as they all leaned over the railing to find any sign of the sniper.

"Did that bastard fall from the cloud?!" Zoro demanded to no one in particular.

"USOPP!" Luffy yelled as he shot out his arm into the ocean.

"I...I don't feel anything," Emmy admitted as she bit her lip, "I haven't been able to since he jumped into the clouds."

"That moron. I told him not to go," Sanji seethed.

"Stretch your arms as far as you can," Robin said.

"But...but what if I miss Usopp? I can't see anything down there," Luffy wailed.

Robin crossed her arms and closed her eyes. "It's alright. Leave it to me. Ojos Fleur!"

"Oh no...Usopp…" Chopper whimpered and Emmy put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry. Robin's got it. She said so," the first mate said with a firm nod.

"Once we save him, I'm going to kill him," Zoro hissed through gritted teeth.

"I see him!" Robin shouted suddenly and then took a deep breath, "Veinte Fleur!"

Whatever was happening down there was adding a lot of weight to Luffy and he strained against the railing with his arm dangling into the white abyss. Then he lurched forward and his eyes widened. "Ah!"

"Okay," Robin said with a grin, "Pull him up."

"Got him? Yosh!" Luffy jumped onto the railing and started to pull back his arm. The rubber boy gritted his teeth and sweat dripped down his face as he reeled his arm in.

"Luffy?" Emmy asked, feeling the strain in her own shoulders and back, "Is...Is Usopp  _that_  heavy?"

"He shouldn't be," Robin said with surprise, "I grabbed him pretty easily…"

"Luffy, you can do it!" Chopper cried encouragingly.

"You can do it!" Nami echoed.

"AAAAHHHH!" With a loud roar, Luffy managed to pull his arm out of the cloud with a soaking Usopp at the end of it. His arm snapped back with such force that it flung Luffy back onto the deck and Usopp bounced a few times when he landed.

"Yes! Got him," Nami said with relief.

_Splash!_

Four pink tentacles emerged out of the clouds, each several times thicker and longer than the Going Merry. As they swayed up in the sky, a monstrous fish burst out from the clouds as well and snapped its massive jaws towards the ship.

"What the hell is that?!" Nami and Chopper shrieked.

"They wanna eat Usopp!" Sanji exclaimed as he and Zoro leaped off the ship.

_Shing! Shing! Thwack!_

With a few slices and a harsh kick from the cook, the creatures were easily disposed of. Even so, each pirate had to take a minute to regain their composure.

"P-Perhaps we'll need to think of this as the ocean rather than clouds," Robin suggested slowly.

"Whatever it is," Emmy said as she smoothed her apron, "We'll have to be more careful. This is a whole new world up here."


	76. I am in Paradise

"An island! It's a sky island!" Luffy cheered.

Emmy lifted her head from her crouched position on the main deck. They had braced for impact after being launched into the air by a gigantic crustacean that had carried them right up a winding waterfall towards the higher sky ocean plane they were now sailing on.

As she stood up, she could feel the corners of a whistle in her apron pocket rub against her leg. They had been given that by a curious but kind man named Gan Fall, who called himself the Sky Knight. He had beaten back a masked guerilla with a bazooka that had tried to blow them up with a big bazooka. The whistle was for them to use if they ever needed his help again and it was only to be used in an emergency.

All of this had occurred within a matter of hours so at this point, Emmy wasn't sure what counted as an emergency anymore. It seemed anything could happen on the sky island.

 _Merry-san, are you okay? Did that lobster hurt you?_ , Emmy asked as she watched the crustacean release his claws from Merry's broken wings and retreat down into the clouds.

_I'm fine. Thank you for your concern, Little Miss. That was fun._

Emmy giggled.  _I'm glad you enjoyed it._

"Emmy! Come look!" Luffy shouted from the masthead.

When she reached her captain's side, Emmy's eyes widened at the sight before them. It was indeed an island in the sky. A long dense forest of tall trees lined against the bottom level of the clouds. Above them, there were traces of roofs and towers poking out from the white, fluffy mounds. Long, marble-like staircases curved in and around the clouds that linked the different layers of cloud together.

"Wow, I can't believe we're actually here…" Nami said wondrously.

They docked the ship near the base of the trees. They couldn't get right to the edge, since the clouds beneath them got thicker and denser. When Luffy jumped off the ship and right into the clouds, he found that he was submerged only up to his ankles. "Ah! It's safe," he said with a grin and then held his arms out, "C'mon, Emmy! Let's go! This is just like a beach!"

"Oh! If that's the case, come on, Prude," Nami said excitedly. She linked her arm with the first mate's and dragged her towards the women's quarters, "Let's go change into something more appropriate. You too, Robin!"

"Eh?" It took the historian a beat but then she smiled and nodded at the navigator, "Sure. Why not?"

"What?! Emmy doesn't need to change," Luffy pouted from below.

"LUFFY! Don't get in the way if the ladies want to change into bikinis then let them!" Sanji roared. He leapt over the ship and he threw his arms in the air when he landed, "Bikinis! Bonsai!"

Emmy's face turned a dark red at the thought wearing a bikini as she entered Nami and Robin's room. "I don't have a swimsuit though. I can just take off my stockings and shoes."

"Don't worry, Prude," Nami said with a wink and she opened her wardrobe to reveal a vast collection of different styles of swimwear, "I got you covered."

By the time Emmy was ready for the beach with not only her swimsuit on but also the southbird perched on her shoulder, everyone had disembarked and was exploring the beach. Nami was swimming leisurely in the clouds with only a red, string bikini top and some yellow shorts on while the swordsman was doing some quick laps fully clothed. Chopper was trying to build a cloud castle. Sanji was picking some flowers and Robin was lounging in a chair and reading a book with a purple halter bikini and a red sarong tied around her waist. Usopp was shouting up at Luffy, who was perched high on a tree holding some type of flattened gourd.

Emmy clutched a pile of clean and folded tiles in her arms as she jumped overboard and nervously walked towards the gazebo that Robin was sitting under. There were three lounge chairs with firmly shaped clouds acting as cushions. The historian sat in the middle chair. There was an empty table next to her and Emmy set the towels down on it.

The captain was laughing down at the sniper's angered face but then he stopped when he saw the first mate.

_Ptoooooo!_

"AH?! What?! What?! Luffy's been hit! Luffy's been hit!" Usopp exclaimed as Luffy was sent right off the tree with a river of blood spouting out of him.

Emmy gasped and rushed over to the captain along with the rest of her nakama. The southbird, uninterested in the rubber boy's fall, gave one last glare at the pirates before flying away.

_Jyuuuuuu!_

"Luffy! Are you okay?" Emmy asked.

"Oy! Luffy, what happen- WHOA! EMMY-CHAN! Cute! Cute! Cute!" Sanji thundered.

Everyone stopped in their tracks and looked over at the blushing first mate.

"I'm sorry," Emmy said with her head bowed, "N-Nami said this was the most boring and modest swimsuit she has. Is this too much?"

"Of course not!" Nami shouted, "Are you questioning my taste?!"

The navigator would never admit it but she had chosen that swimsuit specifically for the first mate. The color even matched her eyes! It was mostly because the shopkeeper had offered a three for one discount so she thought might as well throw it into her already building pile but still...It was a swimsuit befitting that of a prude.

The neckline wasn't low at all and hid all of her cleavage, especially with the added white ruffles that lined it and along the leg holes, creating a skirt like effect. The white ruffles matched the lace cuffs she still kept around her wrists. Even though her tattoo was now exposed fully for the first time in a while, it was entirely because of how high the tattoo was placed and not because of the cut on the back, which covered her right up to the base of her shoulder blades. Sure, the straps were thin and the first mate would've preferred something with sleeves but the navigator tossed that factor out. The first mate had just been running around with her belly exposed in Alabasta, so what was the big deal?

Without her apron to fidget with, Emmy nervously ran her hands over the loose ponytail that hung over her right shoulder and twirled the ends of it with her finger. Ace's necklace was still securely tied around her head. She bit her lip and looked over at the women. "May-Maybe I should go change."

"No. You look lovely," Robin said. She walked over to the first mate and placed her hands on her shoulders for support, "I think everyone is just not used to seeing you like this and got caught up in this beach environment."

"Don't worry about it, Prude," Nami added with a frown to the guys, "You're fine. It's these idiots who are being weird."

"But seriously, though," Usopp muttered to himself as he gaped at the red faced captain with two streams of blood coming out of his nose, "Who'd have thought that even Luffy could have this kind of reaction?"

"Sky Island...Viva forever!" Sanji yelled as he tucked a pink, tropical flower behind Nami, Robin, and Emmy's ear, "Beautiful flowers for the beautiful ladies!"

"Oy! Emmy," Zoro growled as he tried to shake the water out of his ears, "Hand me a towel."

"Get it yourself! Let Emmy-chan have fun!" Sanji snapped and then he smiled at the first mate, "Emmy-chan, enjoy your time in paradise."

"Oh. Okay...," Emmy said and then she turned her attention on the captain, "Luffy? Are you okay? What happened?"

She reached over and was about to help him sit up but when the boy saw the hand coming at him, he hurriedly did it himself

"I-I'm fine, Emmy," Luffy said and wiped the blood off with the back of his arm, "I think I just need some food. Oy! Usopp! I found a pumpkin earlier that was really hard to crack. Let's go break it!"

Emmy stared at the captain with confusion. It wasn't the fact that his face was red and there were no signs of him feeling any sort of hunger in their bonds that made it strange. It wasn't even that he didn't look at her when he spoke. It was completely because she could feel something stirring in their bonds that was somewhat like the flirtatious feeling she experienced from the cook but...it wasn't the same.

Whatever this feeling was, it was intense and there was a hint of embarrassment and confusion mixed into it that made it altogether very muddy for the empath to decipher.

" _That is how an older brother should feel about a younger sister...Remember that…"_

She took a step back and tried to recall the feeling that came with Ace's words, while everyone else went back to whatever they were doing before.

"How an older brother should feel…" Emmy muttered to herself.

He had felt a protectiveness over her, that was for sure, and yes, Luffy had that feeling even now in their bonds. There was also the same sense of care and worry that came with it. However...this feeling was different to Ace's feelings too.

_Does this mean...Luffy doesn't see me as a sister?_

Suddenly, a beautiful chord struck through the air and the pirates turned towards the music.

A woman stood on top of a small cloud at the edge of the beach with a curved harp in her hands. The pirates watched with mouth agape as she ran her pale, delicate fingers through the strings and played a relaxing song. Her skin was almost as white as the wings on her back, which made her look like she was a mirage. When her song was finished, she turned to them, revealing dark green eyes and a dainty nose, and she gave them a gentle smile. "Heso."

"AHHH! ANGEL! IT'S AN ANGEL!" Sanji yelled with hearts in his eyes, "Heso!"

"Heso?" Luffy, Emmy, and Usopp repeated.

"What's a heso?" Chopper asked.

"A heso is a heso," Zoro stated.

The angel came over to them. She placed her harp on her back and along the way, she picked up a white, fluffy fox. "Did you come from the Blue Sea?"

"Ah," Luffy said with a large green pumpkin tucked under his arm, "We flew up here. Are you from here?"

The angel nodded. "Yes. Welcome to Skypiea's Angel Beach." She noticed the captain's gourd and she smiled, "Do you need help with that?"

"What?" Luffy asked and then he followed her gaze, "Oh yeah. I'm trying to eat it but it's so hard!"

"Yes," the angel laughed. She took the gourd from him and flipped it upside down on the beach. She took out a knife and cut a hole right at the bottom and stuck a straw in, "A conush's skin is hard like iron so you can't bite through it. You have to cut it at the bottom and drink from it."

Luffy took the gourd and sucked its juice through the straw. He gulped it down and then threw his head back. "YUUUUUM!"

"Let me try it too!" Usopp cried as he grabbed the straw, "YUMMMMM!"

"Emmy, you should try this!" Luffy shouted and tilted the pumpkin towards the first mate. Emmy reached for the straw and her other hand went to the conush. Just as her fingers lightly brushed against the captain's, he jerked the gourd away from her.

"Eh?"

Emmy blinked up at the captain, who hurriedly turned towards the angel, "H-Hey. Do you have another straw?" he asked as his ears started to turn red.

"Oh. Yes, here you go," the angel said as she pulled out a second straw and placed it in the hole.

"...Here," Luffy said as he practically shoved the conush into Emmy's arms, "You're a girl. You should have your own straw. Not the boys' straw."

"Oh…" Emmy said as she took a hesitant sip. The juice was not what she expected. It tasted like a cantaloupe but with a slightly saltier flavor to it. Despite it being quite delicious, she was too out of sorts to take anything more than a small mouthful, "Yes. It's...it's very good."

"Great. Here! Robin! You try!" Luffy yelled, taking back the gourd once again and practically sprinting in the other direction towards the historian, who had returned to the gazebo.

For whatever reason, Luffy was acting very strangely and Emmy just didn't know what to make of it but decorum was more important than curiosity.

The first mate smiled at the angel and she bowed her head. "Hello. My name is Monkey D. Emmy. Nice to meet you."

"Heso. My name is Conis," the angel said.

"Does 'heso' mean hello in Skypiea?" Emmy asked.

"I don't know what hello means but heso is our greeting," Conis replied.

"Oh, I see," Emmy said, "This is all still fairly new to us."

"If you have any questions, feel free to ask me," Conis replied.

Emmy tilted her head to the side and studied the angel. "We mean you no harm so please don't be scared of us, Conis-san."

"Eh?" Conis asked but she kept the smile on her face, "I-I know that. I'm not scared of you."

Emmy smiled politely back at her, feeling the truth in her words. "That's good."

Her hand went up to her ponytail and she started to twirl the ends of it again.  _But...she is scared of something...If not us, then what?_

"Oy! Something's coming," Zoro said, breaking Emmy from her concentration.

They looked out towards the ocean clouds where a man was sailing towards them on some sort of contraption that Emmy had never seen before nor had a word to call it. To her, it was a tiny boat that was barely big enough for the man to sit in. It had a handle at the front, which the man was gripping and the ship made a loud roaring noise while clouds streamed out from the back of it.

"HESO!" he called out to them.

"Oh. That's my father," Conis said, "Heso!"

"What's that he's riding?" Nami asked.

"Oh, that's called a waver," Conis said.

They watched as the man sailed towards the beach in a wayward manner. It didn't appear that he had much control. In fact, he was swerving to and fro instead of going in a direct path and the entire ship was wobbling beneath his feet.

"Please, excuse me. I'm coming to a stop!" he shouted as he rode right up to the beach and crashed into a palm tree. He struggled to get to his feet, "Is...Is everyone all right?"

"You're the one who crashed!" Zoro snapped as Emmy hurried over to help the man to his feet.

He was a bald man with a dark brown beard and heavy caterpillar-like eyebrows. Two tufts of brown hair hung limply over his head like antennae. Like his daughter, he wore a tunic but while her's was short and pink, his was long and yellow. He also had a closed wicker basket on his back.

Emmy took him by the hand and helped him to his feet. "Are you okay?" she asked despite not feeling any injuries or pain coming from him.

"Ah. Yes, thank you," he said. His eyes were naturally squinted so it was hard to decipher just by the expression alone if he was smiling or not. However, Emmy could feel the gentleness coming from him and it grew into a fond love when he looked to his daughter, "Conis. Are these friends of yours?"

"Yes," Conis said, "We've just become acquainted. They said they came from the Blue Sea."

"I see. Then, there must be many things that you're puzzled about," Conis' father said, "Excuse me for not introducing myself but my name is Pagaya. I'm sorry for the inconvenience."

"Oh. Oh! Not at all," Emmy rushed in and gave him a slight bow, "We really appreciate any help and information we can get, Pagaya-san. My name is Monkey D. Emmy. It's very nice to meet you."

"Father, did you catch any fish today?" Conis asked.

Pagaya nodded. "Yes. I caught a lot. Oh, yes! Why don't you all come to our house? I'll prepare dishes for you from our sky harvest."

"YES! Let's go! Let's go!" Luffy cheered.

"Sky island cuisine? This I'd love to see," Sanji added.

The navigator righted up the fallen waver and she examined it. "May I ask a question first? This boat doesn't have a sail and you weren't paddling either. How did you propel it on the sea?"

"Oh. You mean you're not familiar with dials?" Conis asked.

"Dials?" the pirates asked.

"OOH! Can I ride it?" Luffy asked. He flung the pumpkin over his shoulder and pulled the waver right out from under the navigator.

"Oy! Luffy!" Nami shouted.

Before anybody could stop him, the rubber boy set the waver onto the ocean cloud, hopped on, and pressed a pedal that lurched him forward.

If anyone found it odd that the captain didn't ask the first mate to join him, they kept quiet, especially the first mate, who watched with her hand almost completely entangled in her hair.

_Did...Did I do something wrong?_

"Wahooooo!" he shouted as he jerked himself every which way with the waver but soon his screams of excitement turned to just screams, "Waiiiit! Why is it shaking around so much? I can't stop it!"

"Luffy!" Emmy gasped as she started to run into the ocean clouds but the swordsman grabbed her by the waist and plopped her between him and Sanji. Both of them were staring grimly at their captain, who had completely lost control over the waver and was now somersaulting through the air before disappearing beneath the clouds.

"Don't just rush into things like an idiot," Zoro said calmly.

"You should be careful, Emmy-chan," Sanji added, "We don't know how this sea treats those with powers."

"Oh yeah...This isn't an ordinary sea," Zoro agreed, "See? Luffy's not even coming up."

Sanji ashed his cigarette. "Yeah. He sank."

"Yep."

_Thwack! Thwack!_

Emmy punched both of them in the head and then shoved them forward. "THEN GO SAVE HIM!"

When Zoro successfully retrieved the captain and the cook returned the waver to the beach, Emmy was surprised to find that the navigator extended an invitation to her to join her for a ride.

"Really? Me?" Emmy asked.

Nami had one foot on the beach and another foot hovering right over the acceleration pedal of the waver. "Come on, Prude," she said with a smirk, "Let's show them how it's done."

Emmy bit her lip. "Are...you sure you can ride this? Luffy was having so much trouble."

"Don't underestimate me," Nami said with a grin, "Besides, you look like you want to try."

"Ah...yes..I really do," Emmy admitted as she stepped behind Nami and held tightly to her waist, "Thank you, Nami."

"Don't mention it," she said.

They raced out to the distant horizon with speed but also fluidity. The navigator was able to control the waver with so much ease and grace that Emmy felt like she was flying over the clouds.

"Woooooo!" Nami cheered, "This is amazing! It sure takes some getting used to but I think I get the hang of it."

"Nami-san, you're the coolest!" Sanji cheered back.

"How come YOU'RE riding it so easily?!" Luffy demanded.

"This is too delicate for you to handle, Luffy!" Nami laughed.

"Oy! Emmy! Be careful! Don't fall off!" Zoro shouted out.

"She'll be fine!" Nami snapped as she did a perfect donut with the waver, "She's with me and she's having fun. Aren't you, Emmy?!"

Emmy couldn't talk. She was too busy clinging onto Nami's waist and laughing at the wind and ocean cloud that sprayed at them from all different directions. She could feel her hair coming loose with several strands flying free around and over her face but she didn't care.

The straw hat glowered at the navigator and first mate. "Get back here! Emmy! Nami! We're going to the old man's house now, you stupid heads!" Luffy shouted, which earned him a harsh kick from the cook.

"Don't be jealous of Nami just because you don't know how to handle things," Sanji scoffed as he lit a cigarette.

"I just need more practice! Even Conis said it took her years to learn how to ride that thing," Luffy grumbled.

"Idiot. I wasn't talking about the waver," Sanji said as he took a puff and watched the first mate cry out in surprise when the navigator gunned it on the waver and sped up even more, "Even though Emmy-chan has always been a cute girl, but she looks especially cute today, doesn't she?"

Luffy tilted his hat over his eyes and then lowered his head to cover his nakama from seeing it reddening again. "...Yah."

Sanji suppressed the urge to laugh at his uncomfortable captain. "But it doesn't change anything, right? At least anything that matters. She's still very important to you."

"Ah."

"You still want her by your side."

"Ah."

"You still want her to smile and be happy."

"Ah."

"Then get a hold of yourself, you idiot, and just focus on what's important," Sanji said. He gave a soft kick to Luffy's back, pushing him forward,

"Wh-Whoa!" Luffy stumbled and his hand naturally went to his hat, tilting it back to its usual place. The sun hit him right in the eyes and when it moved away, he saw the smile of the first mate that was just as bright. A grin spread across his own face. "Shishishishi. Thanks, Sanji."

"Anytime, Captain."

Luffy puffed up his chest and he yelled out to the first mate. "Goooo! Emmy! Food! Fight! Feel!"


	77. I am Still So Scared

Emmy and Nami stood in front of a familiar scene that perplexed them nonetheless. The waver swayed against the moving ocean clouds beneath their feet but the navigator kept it balanced as they took in the sight of an island.

Lush, green trees dominated the land with it's thick roots sprouting out from the ground and it's branches and leaves knitted to each other, making it hard for the pirates to see anything past the first few trees. By any accounts, it was a sight they've come across frequently. For the first mate, she knew that Mount Colubo had a dense forest much like this one and so did the one in Jaya, just neither of them had one so tall. Since the navigator was the more well-travelled of the two, it was safe to think that she was familiar with this type of terrain too.

However, what truly baffled the pair was that this island was situated in the sky as if it had been plucked right up from the Blue Sea and dropped into the clouds.

While everyone else had retreated to Pagaya and Conis' house for a meal, Nami and Emmy had continued riding the waver and exploring the ocean clouds surrounding Angel Beach. With every passing minute, the navigator gained more and more confidence in maneuvering the vehicle. That is how they had found themselves out of sight from Angel Beach and in front of this curiously placed island.

"So the sky island has ground too…" Nami whispered.

"These trees are huge," Emmy added, "They're taller than any building in Fusha Village and thicker than even Merry-san's mast."

"How old are these trees? Several hundred years?" Nami wondered.

"There's no doubt about it. The treasure should definitely be here."

The pirates looked around them to find the source of the echoey voice but they spotted no one.

"An extraordinary treasure is here. We're very close. It's almost to our grasp. The treasure is close by! Hurry up!"

"It came from over there," Nami said as she revved up the waver and pulled around the island into a small cove. They found a broken down boat that had deep claw marks along it's wooden sides and scorch marks over it's torn cloth canopy.

Nami stayed on the waver while Emmy hopped onto the boat and looked around.

_Click!_

"There's no doubt about it. The treasure should definitely be here."

Emmy spun around to see a green bird flying off of a spiral seashell with the echoey voice emerging from the opening at its end. The shell was about the size of a halved coconut and weighed the same as well.

"An extraordinary treasure is here. We're very close. It's almost to our grasp. The treasure is close by! Hurry up!"

"The seashell is talking!" Emmy gasped. She picked it up just as the apex of the shell popped up with another  _Click!_

She went over to Nami and showed her the shell.

"This is a seashell, right? There's no way there's a human in here, right?" Nami asked nervously.

"Could...a Transponder Snail switch shells?" Emmy asked but then she shook her head, "But I don't feel anything in this...There's nothing in here…"

_Kaboom!_

"Eh?" Emmy turned to face the island. Flocks of blackbirds shot out from the leaves and flew away as far and as fast as they could.

"We can experiment with the shell later. Get back on the waver," Nami said.

Emmy got onto the waver and she held the seashell with one hand while hooking her arm around Nami's waist with the other. The leaves from some nearby trees began to rustle and Emmy sucked in a breath.

"Let's get out. This place is giving me the creeps," Nami said as they sped out of the cove. When they turned a corner, Nami stopped.

A natural path formed over curved, mossy roots that gave the navigator and first mate a deeper look inside the island. A man was flying overhead on a large purple winged bird while another man was sprawled directly below him over a root. A spherical man in a white jumpsuit was hopping from one foot to another.

"He's mine! Hoho!"

"Shut up. He's mine!"

A fourth man appeared as he leapt down from the tree tops. "He's  _my_  prey!"

"What is going on in this forest?" Nami whispered.

A gentle breeze swept through the forest, tossing its leaves, swayed it's branches, and brushed across Emmy's face. Despite it being a warm and calm wind, goosebumps formed all over the first mate's skin and made her step a little closer to the navigator.

"Wh-What? What's wrong?" Nami asked.

"I..I don't know," Emmy whispered, "But...But something doesn't feel right...This forest...it's-Nami! Watch out!"

"Eh?"

The navigator turned and spotted the masked guerilla that had attacked their ship earlier that day. He had his bazooka in hand and he pulled the trigger.

"AH!" Nami screamed as the rocket blew right in between the first mate and the navigator's heads and struck the center of where the men were arguing.

_Kaboom!_

The heated blast pushed the waver back and added turmoil to the ocean clouds. The navigator stood steady, though, and kept them upright while the smoke and debris bloomed out from the island.

A man crawled out from the island and he poked his head over the coast. "Hey! You guys! Help me!" he cried out.

The man had cuts and scrapes all over his body and whatever he went through left a nasty rip all over his clothes and skin. He reached out a cut up hand towards Emmy.

"I-I'm so sorry," Emmy said with utmost sincerity, "We can't fit anyone else on this waver."

"Then I guess I'll have to kill one of you!" he cried out of sheer desperation as he pushed himself up and grabbed a sword strapped to his side.

A stream of bright blue light beamed down in front of him and when it touched the ground, more beams shot down and they started to condense together until it was a pillar of light that engulfed the man and the surrounding trees.

"G-God…" the man croaked.

"God?" Emmy repeated.

The light exploded and consumed the man at the center. The detonation blinded the pirates and shrouded them with a powerful shockwave. Emmy squeezed her eyes shut and clung to the navigator but then she let out a strangled cry when something else hit her.

A feeling of overwhelming power consumed the empath and in her mind's eye, she could see someone looking down at her with a maniacal grin. One thing she felt absolutely certain at that moment. Whoever he was, he was dangerous and cold. More than that, he felt infallible.

It was a familiar feeling to the former slave and she knew only a certain type of people who could possibly feel this way.

The ground beneath the light crumbled and sank into the ocean clouds while the trees disintegrated into nothing. The ocean clouds became a stormy sea which brutally rammed the waver from every direction.

When the final traces of light disappeared, leaving only thick smoke and unrelenting flames in its wake, Emmy and Nami were drenched from head to toe and shaking from the entire ordeal. It took the navigator several minutes to regain her composure and control of the waver but she still slumped to her knees to catch her breath.

"Get some Water Dials now!" someone hollered through the billowing smoke.

"It looked like that man was talking to someone…" another man said.

"There was a guerilla here. Must've been him, hoho!" a third voice added.

"Whatever the case, what is Enel-sama thinking, taking care of that man himself?" the second man asked.

"We probably ran out of time," a fourth man said, "Another group of illegal entrants has already infiltrated this land."

"Hm? Again?"

"Old lady Amazon informed us that it's a ship with eight Blue Sea people on board."

"Whatever the case, we need to do something about this fire before it burns up all the trees."

"That's why I said to get the Water Dials!"

The navigator waited until she heard them all walk away and then when it was quiet for awhile, she nervously put pressure on the waver pedal. "We have to go back quickly, Emmy. That guy must've been punished just for not paying the entrance fee like us! We have to warn the-...Eh? Emmy?"

In her haste, the navigator didn't even realize until that very moment just how much the first mate was shaking behind her. Both arms wrapped tightly around her waist, the seashell they found was forgotten at back of the waver. Her face was buried in Nami's back, revealing to the navigator that it wasn't water dripping down her skin but tears.

"E-Emmy?! Emmy, what's wrong?" Nami asked with her eyes glued to their destination.

"They're here..." Emmy whimpered.

"What? Who's here?"

"People...people like my old masters..."

Nami gritted her teeth and stepped even harder on the pedal. "Don't worry, Emmy. We're going to get the hell away from this crazy place."

The navigator rushed her and the first mate back to Angel's Beach. When the coast of Skypiea came back into view, Nami could see that there was a standoff happening between her nakama and a group of uniformed men with Conis and her father in the middle.

"Oh no! Someone's already there," Nami gasped, "Hopefully, they're not with those guys from earlier. Please don't do anything stupid, everyone."

As they got closer, she could see that Usopp was desperately waving his hands out at Luffy, most likely attempting to coax him out of doing something stupid.

"Everyone! Wait a minute! We're back!" Nami shouted.

"Ah! Nami-san! Emmy-chan! Welcome back!" Sanji's voice called out to them.

"Luffy, don't give them any trouble!" Nami warned.

"But they're being ridiculous!" Luffy huffed back and pointed at the closest uniformed man. They all wore white berets on their heads and they tucked their purple shirts into blue and white cloud printed pants.

"Nami! We need to pay them a 7 million belli fee for our illegal entry. Can you use your secret stash to pay then?" Usopp shouted, "Hurry or else we're going to get into trouble!"

The navigator's lips pursed with only the roaring of her waver growing in sound. "Hang on, Emmy," she growled.

_Thwack!_

The navigator kick backed the waver just as it rode up to the edge of the coast and slammed the bottom of it right into the white beret's face. "THAT'S TOO EXPENSIVE!" Nami roared.

"Nami! What did you do?!" Usopp screeched.

"Ah!" Nami's senses returned to her and she gasped, "Sorry. I heard that high fee and I just reacted!"

"Captain!" the uniformed men cried as they rushed to recover the fallen beret.

"Little Pirate?! What's wrong?" Robin gasped when she tried to help Emmy to her feet but the first mate just crumpled into a heap.

"Wait. What happened to Emmy?! Oy! Nami! Did she get hurt?" Luffy shouted, rushing towards the first mate.

"No! It's not like that. I can explain later but just not now!" Nami snapped and waved her hands towards the uniform men, "Not in front of  _this_."

Emmy automatically grabbed Luffy by the shoulders when he was in reach. He lifted her up and she buried her face in the crook of his neck, "Oy. Emmy? What happened? Why are you shaking all over? Did you have another bad dream again?!"

"How the hell would she be able to sleep while riding a waver?" Nami demanded.

"Bad dream?" Robin asked.

"Luffy, take Emmy-chan away from here while we figure this out," Sanji said as he lit a cigarette, "Robin-chan. It's a long story...but we can explain everything later. Right now, we have to deal with these winged bastards. We've definitely committed a high level crime that they're undeniably going to charge us for."

"Ah. I'll leave it to you guys," Luffy said.

He brought Emmy to the gazebo. However, instead of setting her down in one of the lounge chairs, he sat in it himself with the first mate draped over his lap. She wasn't going to be willing to separate from him and the feeling was mutual, "Oy. Emmy...What's wrong? Come on. Tell me what's wrong? You're freaking me out."

"They're here," she whispered.

Luffy stiffened and he leaned his head against hers, feeling the edges of Ace's necklace press up against his jaw. "Are you sure? Did you see them?"

She shook her head.

"Then how do you know it was them?"

"I...I felt it…" Emmy said.

"But if you didn't see them, how do you know it was them? It could be somebody else," Luffy said.

"Th-that's true," Emmy admitted.

"Well, there's only one way to make yourself feel better."

"How?"

"We gotta go back and check it out!"

"EH?! But what if it is them?"

"Even if it is, you're going to have to face them someday."

"I can't!" Emmy cried and clung even tighter to the captain, "I'm so sorry. I thought I was ready. I thought I was prepared to face them but I can't...I'm still so scared. What if they hurt you? What if everyone gets hurt because of me?"

Luffy lowered his head so that the shade from his straw hat blocked the light for both him and the first mate. "Idiot," he said under his breath, "Of course we're going to get hurt."

"Eh?!"

"It's a fight. People get hurt in fights. That's how it works…I'm not scared of a fight. I'll kick the butt of every dragon, monster, and unicorn that tries to take you."

The first mate let out a strangled laugh. "I don't think unicorns are bad."

"You know what I mean."

"I don't want to lose everyone," Emmy whispered.

"You won't."

Emmy's crying slowly turned into quiet sniffles but she still didn't move away from the captain. "Luffy...I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I thought...I thought I had gotten better. I thought I was breaking my chains," Emmy said, "I guess I was just ignoring them instead."

"What are you talking about?" Luffy exclaimed directly into her ear and she flinched from the volume, "Oh. Sorry."

She lifted her head up and she blinked her red, puffy eyes at the captain. "You think I've improved?"

Luffy frowned at the first mate. "Of course you have! You've gotten so much stronger since we left Mount Colubo! Look at how many fights you won. You helped Vivi stop a war! Look at our nakama! You've developed strong bonds with them! Look at  _you_! You got a tattoo and you're wearing a swimsuit!"

Emmy giggled and she wiped the remaining streaks of tears from her face. Then she sighed when she saw the big puddle that sank into Luffy's vest. "I'm sorry. I ruined your shirt."

"Eh, I don't care," Luffy said with a shrug, "You shouldn't apologize to me. You're just adding more work for yourself."

Emmy smiled. "Yeah. Taking care of the laundry is my job."

"And it's my job to take care of you," Luffy stated and then poked her in the forehead, "So don't say stupid things like losing everyone or us getting hurt. Let me handle that part. I'm the captain."

Emmy leaned forward and placed her forehead against the captain's shoulder. "Yes, Captain."

"Shishishishishi. So tell me. What was that place like? Conis said it was a forbidden place. I bet there's tons of cool stuff there."

"Ahem…"

The historian smiled calmly at them as she leaned against the gazebo railing with her chin in her hand. "Navigator-san says it's time to go."

"Oh. Go where?" Luffy asked as Emmy slid off his lap and stood back up.

"We're leaving before the White Berets come back and charge us with a punishment," Robin said, "Conis-san and Pagaya-san had taken their captain back to their house to rest. This is our chance to leave."

"Okay," Emmy said as Luffy got up from his seat.

"Are you feeling better, Little Pirate?" Robin asked.

Emmy nodded and smiled at the historian. "Much…Thank you for your concern. I'm all better now."

Luffy slipped his hand into hers and they walked with Robin back to the Merry, where Usopp and Chopper were already on the deck and preparing the ship to leave. Just as the first mate was about to walk past the navigator, she felt herself get pulled back by her captain, who was staring out towards the sky island.

"What? What's going on? Luffy, we need to leave!" Nami said.

"Why are we running away?" Luffy asked.

"Ugh! We don't have time. I'll explain-," Nami started to say.

"Explain it now," Luffy replied.

"Because we're in trouble!" Nami snapped.

"But...we're always in trouble," Luffy said.

"Well, this time we'll be in BIG trouble."

"We're always in big trouble."

"Ugh. This crime might cause Conis and her father to get in trouble too!"

"But those two didn't do anything wrong. If they get arrested,  _that_  would be wrong," Luffy protested.

"Yes, but-"

"It doesn't matter," Emmy said softly as she turned towards the east side of the beach, "They're here..."

"Shit!" Nami swore.

The group of White Berets with a frightened Conis marched towards the pirates and they stopped when they were about 20 meters away.

"P-Please hurry and leave. Don't worry about me," Conis called out.

"Don't do that, Miss," the Captain of the White Berets advised, "Vocally defending a criminal is a punishable offense. You and your father are already going to pay for your crimes of aiding and abetting criminals. Do not worsen your crimes."

"Crimes?" Emmy asked with a tilt of her head, "What crimes?"

"Your friends have committed a 5th degree crime of-"

Emmy shook her head, "That's them.  _I_ just arrived on this beach. What crimes did  _I_ commit?"

"You were riding in a vehicle that resulted in an assault to an official. That is at least a 6th degree crime," the Captain of the White Beret said.

Emmy dropped Luffy's hands and walked towards the White Beret. "Are you sure you want to do that?" she asked quietly.

"Oy! Emmy! Get back here!" Nami shouted but the first mate didn't listen. She stopped only when she was an arm's length away from the White Berets.

"Threatening an official is a 4th degree offense that will be added to your-"

"I wasn't threatening you," Emmy said as she folded her hands in front of her, "I was merely asking you if you were sure of giving someone of a punishment you, yourself, don't even believe in."

"What?!" the White Beret captain exclaimed. A bead of sweat rolled down his face, "How dare you suggest that I-"

"I'm not suggesting. I know," Emmy said and she stared at him, "What are you so afraid of? Why are you doing something you feel is wrong?"

"Why you…" the captain growled and then pointed right at the first mate, "Arrest them!"

"Well, here we go," Sanji grumbled to Zoro while Luffy grabbed Emmy by the waist and tossed her towards the ship as the White Berets fired arrows streamed with clouds towards them.

"Robin! Catch!" Luffy yelled as Emmy sailed through the air.

"Yes, Captain!" Robin said. She sprouted her arms into a net that the first mate fell right into.

Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji rushed forward to face the White Berets, who leapt on the cloudy reside their arrows had left behind. They were practically flying through the clouds while waving spears and sharp swords in both hands. However, their unique combat tactics were no match for the three pirates, who quickly disposed of them.

As the clouds cleared away, leaving only a strewn of White Berets collapsed around the beach, the swordsman turned to the ship. "Out of curiosity," he asked, "How much money do we have left, Nami?"

"50 thousand bellis," Nami reported.

"What?! We're that poor?!" Zoro asked.

"Why?" Luffy whined, "As your captain, I gotta say something. You all should really think about how to spend the money better and-"

"It's because you eat so much!" Sanji snapped, "Our biggest expense is filling your stomach!"

"You fools! You can't go back now. You should've just behaved and done what I told you to," the captain of the White Berets groaned as he pulled himself up to his feet, "We, the White Berets, are the gentlest upholders of the law on the White-White Sea. However,  _they_  are not as nice as we are! You are now 2nd degree criminals. No matter if you cry or scream, you'll be judged by the priests of Upper Yard. You can not run even if you wanted to. God sees everything!"


	78. I am Passing Judgement

"This is good! Yummy, yummy! Here, Emmy, try some," Luffy said as he grabbed a slice of an unidentifiable sky fruit and held it out to the first mate, who was hunched over a square coffee table with the cook. Both were busy arranging food into bento boxes for the crew.

Emmy, Luffy, Sanji, and Usopp had all gone back to the Conis and Pagaya's house while the rest of their nakama waited on the ship. Sanji and Emmy were busy preparing lunches for everyone using Conis and Pagaya's leftovers while Usopp found any supplies from Pagaya's scrap pile to help patch up the Merry.

It was clear that those on the ship were itching to get out of the sky island but the captain was very eager about going to see the sacred grounds called Upper Yard. Although the first mate wanted to be in the former group, she knew the captain was right. She had to see what was there and face her fears. It was one thing to be scared but it was entirely another thing to be cowardly and Emmy refused to be that. Her family would not stand for it.

"Luffy, please stop eating the food. If you keep going like this, there won't be anything left for anyone," Emmy said, not looking up from the bento in front of her. She delicately placed a four sushi rolls into one of the compartments and then looked over to the cook, "Sanji. How's this?"

"Oh. It's coming together well, Emmy-chan. Is that the one for Usopp or Chopper?" Sanji asked.

"Chopper," she replied.

"I would take out some of the meat and put in more vegetables," the cook advised, "Put the meat in that crappy swordsman's bento."

"I brought you all some tea," Pagaya interrupted as he walked in with a tray of steaming mugs.

Emmy immediately got to her feet and hurried over to the host. "I can take that," she said and she stilled for a moment when she grabbed the tray from the man and stopped it from trembling. She smiled softly at him and give him a nod, "Thank you, Pagaya-san."

"Oh! Are you sure?" Pagaya asked, "It might be too heavy for you. I don't want you to get burned."

"I've had practice," Emmy said as she carried it with just one hand and served it to her nakama.

Conis came into the living room and she gasped at the open displays of bentos. "Wow. They don't even look like food. It's such a pretty lunch!"

Sanji smiled and held out a bento with a small angelic sculpture shaped out of mashed potatoes. "This one is for you, Conis-chan! I call it 'Love is a dilemma. Lunch for the falling angel'."

"Oh. Does every lunch have a title?" Emmy asked, "Luffy, do you want to name your lunch?"

Luffy frowned and thought hard about it before finally giving a firm nod. "Everything is beautiful and delicious but it will all go  _plop! plop!_ in the end."

"DON'T SAY STUFF THAT TEARS DOWN MY HARD WORK!" Sanji snarled and pointed a finger at the captain, "And watch your mouth when you're in front of ladies!"

"OY! Something's wrong with the ship!" Usopp suddenly called out from the terrace.

The pirates ran to see what was going on. From a distance, all they could see was that the ship was rocking violently from where they had anchored.

"Are they having a party?" Luffy asked as Sanji brought a telescope to his eyes.

"AH! Nami-san!" he shouted and then banged his fist on the railing, "Why is she in a t-shirt?!"

_Thwack!_

"Just where the heck is your mind at?!" Usopp seethed with a hard smack to the back.

Emmy kept her eyes forward but she moved her attention behind her, where Pagaya and Conis stood. Even when the ship looked like it was sailing backwards, away from the shore, Emmy studied the father and daughter intensely. Both of them were suffering from guilt, no doubt about it, but she wasn't interested in that. Instead of trying to know who did what, the first mate would rather figure out why.

 _Fear..._ she thought when she felt it spiking out of their guilt like a thousand needles prickling their hearts,  _Just like the White Berets...They're letting fear get in their way._

She brought her hands to her side and clenched it into fists.  _But I won't._

"What just happened?!" Luffy demanded when the ship disappeared into the horizon, "Where'd they go?!'

"I'm sorry. Th-that must've been the Super Express Lobster for God. It transports offerings to God," Pagaya said with his head bowed.

"God?" Emmy repeated, "The man...Nami and I saw a man on the island with very old trees...he mentioned God too...before something...something destroyed him."

"AHHH! What?! You didn't mention this before!" Usopp shrieked, "Destroy? What do you mean destroy?!"

"So you  _did_ go to Upper Yard," Pagaya gasped, "That is the sacred ground of God...and that is where the Super Express Lobster is taking your friends. In the northeast part of Upper Yard. To the sacrificial altar."

"WHAT?!" the pirates yelled.

"You mean, Robin-chan, Nami-san, etc. will be sacrificed?!" Sanji asked.

_Thwack!_

"What do you mean 'etc'?!" Usopp demanded.

"Oh! Sorry. Please let me explain," Pagaya said, "It may be called the sacrificial altar but this punishment is called 'Heaven's Judgement' and it's a test."

"A test?" Emmy asked.

"Yes. There are two parts to Heaven's Judgement. The sacrifice and the ordeal. The one's actually being judged are the four of you."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Sanji asked.

"How you four do in the ordeal will decide what happens to the sacrifice," Pagaya said.

Sanji scowled. "So you're saying they're using them as hostages."

"I'm sorry. Yes, I am," Pagaya said, "Here. Do you have a map? I can show you where your friends are."

Usopp took out the 200 year old map that they had found from their first and only salvaging attempt and Pagaya rolled it out onto the coffee table.

"Oh. This is old but the shape of the island is correct," he said as he began to mark it.

Sanji turned to Conis, who was visibly shaking as she held tightly to her pet fox. "Are you okay, Conis-chan?"

"Yes," Conis said nervously, "I'm…"

"Don't worry, Conis-san," Emmy said without looking away from the map, "Everything will be fine. Our nakama is strong. Zoro and Robin would never let anything happen."

"That's actually really true," Usopp admitted as he sat back and crossed his arms over his chest, "Wow, thanks, Emmy. I actually do feel a bit better about the situation."

"Idiot! She was trying to comfort Conis-chan!" Sanji snapped.

"Here," Pagaya said as he pointed at an X near the top of the map, "Please excuse me. The sacrificial altar is in the left upper direction, northeast from where we are now...which is here." He moved his finger down to the bottom right corner of the map. "There's only one way to get there. You take the Milky Road that leaves this part of the island by a dial boat and go across to the forest, where the priest awaits for you."

"Erm…" Emmy said, "Excuse me but what is...what is a Milky Road?"

"Those are those cloud channels that people can skate on or sail through using wavers, Emmy-chan," Sanji said, "Those stupid White Berets used a version of it to attack us."

"I see," Emmy said, "So...why can't we just take a Milky Road around the island to avoid the priests altogether?"

"Because that's no fun," Luffy replied.

"That's not a good enough answer!" Usopp snapped.

"Actually, it's not shown here because of how old this map is but there are several hundred Milky Roads that lead all around Upper Yard, large and small and they block any direct path to the Altar. You could get lost in the network if you take the wrong Milky Road. That's why entering the island by boat and taking this path I'm suggesting is the only way," Pagaya said.

"To put it simply," Luffy said, "All we have to do is go in and beat up those priests, right?"

"That is putting it  _very_  simply," Usopp muttered.

Luffy grinned. "Shishishishi. Well then, let's go!"

"I'll accompany you to the Angel Island docks and get you an appropriate boat," Conis said as she got to her feet with the cook automatically doing the same.

"That's not necessary," Emmy replied and stood up as well, "If you just tell us how to get there-"

"Please," Conis pleaded and grasped Emmy's hands with hers, "Please let me help you."

Fear, guilt, and duty pooled out the angel but the first mate brushed it all aside. "If you insist…"

The shame that flickered from the angel gave a thought to Emmy and she blushed. "But...if you truly want to help...could I ask for a favor?"

"Eh?"

"Could...Could I please borrow some clothes and some shoes?"

They packed their bags and got ready to leave. Luffy carried the food in a bulging orange backpack while Sanji and Usopp each carried a backpack filled with repairing tools.

Conis was able to lend Emmy a sleeveless white tunic that she wore over her bathing suit with a brown belt cinched at the waist and white sandals that lace up to her ankles. Since Conis was significantly taller than Emmy, the tunic, which was designed to hit right below the hip, went all the way to Emmy's knees, which she was very thankful for. Her hair was now back to being loose with just the headband, which now resembled an unconventional halo perched around the crown of her delicate, blonde hair.

"Wahhhh! You look just like an angel, Emmy-chwannn!" Sanji cooed when Emmy stepped out the door.

Luffy scratched his nose and he looked away. "Ah. It suits you."

Emmy pulled her dress lower by the hem. "Yes. I thought so too. It's weird when I'm not covered up, isn't it?"

"No…" Luffy said. He took her hand and walked in front of her, pulling her towards the steps leading to a higher cloud, "I just mean...you look good."

"Oh...Thank you," Emmy said and then she frowned at the back of his reddened neck, "Why are you feeling embarrassed?"

"I'm not. You are, stupid head!"

"Huh?"

"Ignore him, Emmy-chan," Sanji sighed while Usopp snickered behind his hand but his laugh wasn't covered enough and the rubber boy glared at the long nose.

"Usopp! Stupid head!" Luffy yelled, which made Usopp laugh even harder.

"I...I don't understand. What's happening?" Emmy asked.

"They're just being idiots," Sanji said.

"...Sanji, stupid head…" the captain mumbled.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!"

Conis led them up the chiseled cloud stairs. It was very surreal to the first mate that they were actually walking on clouds. The Skypiea native tried to explain the different types of clouds there are but the first mate was too lost in the idea of walking in the sky that she didn't really retain much of the information. When they reached the upper curved portion of the stairwell, they could see a street that was lined with different shops and buildings.

"What is that?" Luffy asked excitedly.

"That is Lovely Street. It's the only downtown area on Angel Island," Conis said, "The docks are on the other side of there."

"Wow...So it's like a sky city," Emmy couldn't help but marvel.

"Shishishishi," Luffy laughed as he started to swing his and Emmy's hand with excitement, "I wonder what kind of toilet a sky city has?"

"Oy! What kind of question is that?!" Sanji and Usopp shouted.

Lovely Street turned out to be befitting of its name. Quaint buildings painted in an assortment of pastel colors lined the fluffy cloud street. There were stores on the cloud level the pirates were walking through and stores built on other island clouds hovering above their heads.

However, the name only applied to how it looked on the surface. Underneath it all, it was an entirely different story.

"Ooh! Look over there, Emmy," Luffy said excitedly, "That's a toy shop! Oh! I see yakiniku! There's yakiniku in the sky! How funny."

"Ah…" was all Emmy could say. The people they passed by were definitely not as welcoming as their architecture suggests. She could feel people cowering with fear behind the doors and windows as well as the select few who dared to be on the street with them.

"You okay?" Luffy asked when he felt her slowing down behind him.

Her head bobbed for a short nod but she remained quiet and with her head bowed. She adjusted her hand so that their fingers laced together in an attempt to stabilize her trembling.

"Is it just me or is everyone acting weird around us?" Usopp asked.

"It's to be expected," Sanji said and walked a little bit closer to the first mate, "Word's probably already gotten out that we're criminals."

"It's great," Luffy said brightly, "We get the whole street to ourselves."

Because there was no one blocking their path or their view, the pirates had a clear line of sight on a tall totem made of mud and encased in glass.

"What...what's this? A weapon?" Luffy asked.

"I think it's art," Usopp said.

"Maybe it's a communication device," Sanji guessed.

"I'm telling you, it's art," Usopp said.

"This is Vearth," Conis explained, "The people of the sky have forever admired it."

"You guys admire this thing?" Luffy asked as he tapped on the glass, "Really?"

"I guess that it does seem strange to Blue Sea people," Conis said with a small chuckle.

The angel's good humor was short lived, however, and she returned to being nervous and anxious when they arrived at the Angel Island docks. Rows of different types of waver boats lined each side and they were of all different shapes and sizes.

"These are all kinds of boats anchored here," Conis explained as they passed by each one, "This one is a hotel boat that you can stay overnight in. This one is a speed boat with an extra large Breath Dial."

"Oh! Let's take that one!" Luffy yelled as he charged at the largest one in the dock, pulling the first mate behind him.

"Ah!" Emmy gasped at the sudden change of pace.

The boat that caught the captain's attention was half the size of the Merry and had a large bull as its figurehead. At the center of the it was an open pavilion with a green room and curtains drawn back on each side

"Doesn't this one look so cool?!" luffy asked excitedly.

"Damn it, Luffy! Be more careful with Emmy-chan!" Sanji scolded.

"Your boat is actually this one over here," Conis said with an apologetic smile, "The Crow."

They turned and Luffy's jaw dropped with disappointment. It was a boat shaped like a black cartoon bird with nothing more than an opened pink umbrella at its center with some fringe hanging around it as a haphazard attempt of decoration.

"You can't be serious!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Crows aren't even water fowls…" Sanji muttered to himself.

"Luffy! Sanji!" Emmy said warningly and then she bowed to the angel, "Thank you so much for your help, Conis-san. We can take it from here."

"Ah. Yes. We appreciate your help from the bottom of our hearts, Conis-chan," Sanji said.

"B-But I want the bull one," Luffy complained.

"Luffy!" Sanji and Emmy shouted as the cook ran over to kick the captain's head down into a bow much lower than the first mate's.

"Apologize!" Sanji yelled.

"Okay! Okay! Sorry, Conis. It's great. I love it!"

"I'm glad you like it," Conis said hesitantly and pointed to a fork in the Milky Road, "You should take the boat down the left road and head to Gate #2. That'll get you to where you need be."

"Alright…" Usopp gulped and took a step towards the boat, "I guess we better get going. Heaven's Judgement...God's wrath...We can...We can do this."

"Ah," Sanji said, "Thank you again, Conis-chan. And please thank your father too for his help."

Sanji and Usopp took off their backpacks and secured it to the rod holding up the umbrella. As Emmy took a step forward, she felt the captain go the opposite direction towards the angel. "Eh? Luffy?"

"Emmy?" Luffy asked, "How...how is Conis feeling?"

"I'll tell you later…" Emmy said quietly.

"Tell me now. Because she's been shaking ever since we left the house. I know why you are but why is she?"

"Eh?!" Conis' eyes widened. "That's...that's because…"

Emmy gave the captain's hand a hard squeeze and then dropped it. She walked so that she was toe to toe to Conis. "I know what you did...and I know what you're doing."

"What?" Conis gasped.

"And here is the punishment for the crime you committed against my nakama," Emmy said as she placed her palm out. "Feel Feel Repose."

"EH?!"

The angel collapsed onto the dock and whoever was timid of the pirates was now officially terrified. The onlookers scurried away and hid among the alleyways and corners of Lovely Street.

"Emmy-chan! What did you do?!" Sanji gasped as he rushed over to the sleeping Conis.

"She and Pagaya-san were the ones who called the Super Express Lobster to take Merry-san away," Emmy said.

"What?!" Usop gasped.

"She had to do it because she was terrified of their god," Emmy said and then waved a hand towards Lovely Street, "All of them...This whole street is filled with fear. They don't want to face any punishment."

"So if she did it out of fear, why are  _you_  punishing her? She had no choice, right?" Usopp asked.

"God sees everything...That's what that White Beret said," Emmy said.

"So?!"

"She was on the verge of doing something stupid that he would have to punish her for," Emmy replied, "Her guilt was eating her up too much. I think she was on the verge of helping us...and I didn't want that. She'll get into more trouble because of us if she tried to get us to escape."

"I see…" Sanji said while Luffy remained very quiet.

"Looks like I didn't need to come here after all…" The Sky Knight swooped in on his steed and there was an audible gasp amongst the angels, "Even so...I'd like to take her off your hands."

"Gan Fall-san," Emmy said with a bow, picking up the feeling of sadness and guilt spread through the town at the Sky Knight's arrival, "You'll keep her safe?"

The Sky Knight smiled at the girl as Sanji gently draped Conis over Pierre's back. "It seems you are aware of this land's nature and their meaning of following 'God's Will'."

"I think I'm beginning to…" Emmy said.

"What will you be doing then?" the Sky Knight asked.

"This land doesn't concern us," Luffy stated and pulled Emmy towards their boat, "We just want to get our nakama back."

"Then I wish you luck on your journey," the Sky Knight said, "Oh and...this one is on the house since I didn't have to intervene in any way."

He flew off once again and Sanji clucked his tongue. "Tch. He doesn't follow a very good business model...Everything he's been doing are freebies."

"Alright, well, there's nothing left to do but sail down this Milky Road," Usopp said as Sanji helped Emmy on the boat.

Luffy was last to board the ship and he frowned at the sniper, who was sitting in the back, until Usopp got uncomfortable enough to move to the vacant seat next to the the cook. Satisfied, Luffy sat down cross legged on the floor next to the first mate but his frown didn't leave his face. "Sorry, Emmy."

"Eh? For what?"

"For not listening to you," Luffy said, "Conis probably wouldn't have gotten to that point if I just waited until later for you to tell me everything."

"It's okay," Emmy replied, "You meant well."

"Next time, if you tell me to wait, I'll wait."

Both Usopp and Sanji raised an eyebrow and the cook put his foot to the pedal. "Like that's ever going to happen," they muttered in unison.

"What?! It will!" Luffy insisted.

"Stupid head," Usopp teased.

"What did you say?!" Luffy snapped.

They rode past under an archway labelled Gate #2 and the Milky Road swooped down over the edge of the island cloud. They sailed through the winding road that went every which way until they could see the tops of Upper Yard's trees.

"Wh-What?! What is that humongous forest?!" Usopp shrieked.

"That's the forest Nami and I saw," Emmy said.

"But the forest on the map was nothing like this. This one is wayyyy bigger!" Usopp said.

"It makes sense because that map was over 200 years ago. Look at those trees. It takes a very long time for those trees to grow into something as gigantic as they are," Sanji said.

"Shishishishi. I wanna climb 'em," Luffy laughed and then reached over to grab Emmy's hand while still staring at the trees. He gave her hand a squeeze of encouragement, "Right, Emmy?"

"...Yes," Emmy said hesitantly, feeling her inner demons waking up once again as they drew closer and closer to the forest.

The official entrance to Upper Yard was lined with Vearth totems as well as two flaming torches that flanked the Milky Road. They didn't get very far past the entrance for the sniper to see something alarming.

"Look! Those waver ships! They're sliced right in half!" he shouted and pointed at the cleanly broken vessels that bobbed up and down the clouds, "This is bad. Luffy! Emmy! Grab a paddle!"

"Eh?"

Usopp turned around and pointed at the two oars resting near the back of the boat. "Come on. Come on! We got to get out of here. Full speed ahead. Full speed ahead!"

"What? Why?" Emmy asked.

_Shing!_

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Usopp's eyes almost popped out of it's socket when a huge sickle that took up the entire Milky Road swung down from the trees and missed the back of their ship by half an inch.

"Crap! Switch positions! Usopp take the wheel. Emmy-chan, take his seat!" Sanji shouted as he took over the paddling for the first mate and he and Luffy started to row furiously ahead.

"Ah!" Usopp said as he gunned down on the boat and they raced away from the swinging blade, "PADDLE LIKE CRAZY!"

_Shing!_

_Shing!_

_Shing!_

Sickle after sickle came swinging down from the skies and each of them were getting closer and closer to the boat.

"This isn't working," Luffy growled and dropped the oar. "Gum Gum...Bazooka!"

He planted his hands against the flat blade, just as it reached the middle of the Milky Road. He pushed the boat right out of the Milky Road and high up into the trees, missing the rest of the swinging blades but just as they landed, it started to rain down wooden spears.

"What?!" Usopp screamed as he rotated the wheel every which way.

"Don't worry, Emmy-chan, I'll protect you! Usopp, go right!" Sanji called as he leapt into the air and kicked away a few of the spears.

"They're everywhere!" Luffy shouted. He grabbed two of the spears and he twisted his entire body around, "Gum Gum... Pinwheel!"

He untwisted his body and used the ferocity of his human tornado knock away the rest of the spears. After the spear rain, came the boomerang blades that kept coming back. After the boomerang blades, came creepy sky sea monsters with large mouths and even sharper teeth.

Emmy slumped down in the passenger seat as beads of sweat covered her forehead. "I...I don't know how much I can take."

"Whatever the case," Sanji said solemnly, "We need to keep moving. Any second we dawdle here could lead to a fatal mistake."


	79. I am a Mantra User

"Chopper...Chopper is scared," Emmy said quietly with her hand to her heart, "Really scared...I hope everything is okay."

"They'll be fine," Luffy replied and moved her hand into his, bringing it to his lap, "Zoro's with them."

"More importantly, which ordeal do we choose?!" Usopp asked from the wheel.

They were still sailing down the Milky Road on the Crow, getting deeper and deeper into Upper Yard, and they were approaching a large wall that had four archways for them to go through. An unique ordeal was carved over each arch, letting their victims choose their own deaths.

"Swamp Ordeal...Iron Ordeal...String Ordeal...Ball Ordeal…" Sanji read out loud, "Hmph...Is this god playing with us?"

"If it's a game then Ball Ordeal!" Luffy shouted, "Let's play ball!"

"I doubt it's anything like a game!" Usopp snapped, "But...I do agree with ball. It sounds the least violent and threatening. Emmy, do you get any bad vibes from any of them? Feel anything evil?"

"I don't sense anything. Luffy's guess is as good as mine," Emmy said.

"Same," Sanji agreed.

"Okay. I guess we're going to the Ball Ordeal," Usopp gulped as he spun the wheel.

"Don't let your guard down. We're on God's Island, 10,000 meters up in the air," Sanji warned as they passed under the archway and into a tunnel.

"Ahhh, I can't see anything!" Usopp wailed. Everything went dark and there didn't seem to be an end in sight. Emmy could barely see the front seat let alone what lied ahead.

Luffy pulled Emmy closer to him and then he wrapped his whole arm around her waist. "Are you scared?"

"Yes," Emmy whispered into the dark void, "Luffy...What if...what if there's a wrong answer to this?"

"What do you mean?" Usopp asked.

"Oh! Like if we choose the wrong one, we'll fall right out of the sky, while the other ones actually lead somewhere?" Luff laughed.

"Don't say something so scary!" Usopp shrieked, "That's a 10,000 meter drop! Are you kidding me?! Even falling has its limits. How many times would your life flash before your eyes?"

"Shishishishishi," Luffy grinned, "Wouldn't that be super scary? Scarier than god, right, Emmy?"

Emmy gulped but she couldn't help but agree. She understood what the captain was doing to cheer her up. No matter who she was about to face - World Nobles or even an almighty god - ultimately, they were not as dreaded than death itself. Leaving her life now, leaving her nakama, leaving  _Luffy_ , was what scared her the most.

"I doubt that could happen, Emmy-chan," Sanji said but without much confidence as the light from the end of the tunnel grew closer and closer, "We'll be just-"

The Crow sailed right into the light and off the edge of the Milky Road. There was no forest, no road, and no cloud to catch their fall.

"ARE YOU KIDDING MEEEeeeeeeeeee?!" Usopp shrieked as they began to free-fall through the vast and empty sky. The sniper's hands gripped tightly to the steering wheel while his legs floated out behind him like a paper flag caught in a windstorm.

Emmy clung to the captain, who had only one hand on the pole of the umbrella. The cook also gripped it tightly, not wanting to fly away to god knows where. The wind roared past their ears and pushed their bodies up into the air, battling against gravity, which was doing it's hardest to yank them down.

They dropped right through a wispy cloud and continued to accelerate. Just when the sniper was losing the strength to hang on, they landed with a hard splash that splattered ocean clouds every which way. The captain curled up seconds beforehand. The first mate landed against his rubber body while his own back rammed hard against the boat.

"Oh...Oh my…," Emmy gasped as her heart raced a mile a minute and she fought for breath. She was experiencing three times the shock as everybody else on the Crow. It would've been four times the amount if not for the fact that the captain was holding onto her tightly and laughing hysterically on the floor of the boat.

"Hahahhahahahahaha. That was close one. I thought we were going to die!" he cackled while the cook started to kick him in the head out of sheer irritation, "We need to do that again."

"It's all because you said some misleading stuff!" Sanji yelled as he shakily lit a cigarette.

"Sky island is scary...Sky island is scary…" Usopp mumbled and then crouched into fetal position, completely foregoing the wheel.

Luffy lifted his arms out and he grinned at the first mate. "Shishishi. That was fun, right?"

She sat up on the floor and she gulped. "It was exciting," she said breathlessly, "B-But...I wouldn't call it fun, Luffy. I think...I think my heart is about to fall right out."

"Emmy-chan, take as much time as you need. There should be some rice crackers in the bag if that'll make you feel better," Sanji said, taking over the wheel and kicking Usopp away, "The rest of you idiots look alive. It looks like we've arrived at the Ball Ordeal."

Around them, spherical island clouds hovered in the air above the Milky Road and was scattered all around the forest. The white balls stayed stagnant and they were identical to each other in size and color.

"What a weird place. It's so neat," Luffy laughed as he stood back up and put his hands on his hips, "I wonder what these balls are for."

"Maybe decorations?" Emmy suggested with shallow hope, "Maybe we guessed the right door so these are balloons celebrating our correct choice."

"Sorry, Emmy-chan," Sanji sighed, "I don't want to disagree with you but I don't think that's the case. There might be traps like earlier. We can't let our guard down. Everybody, stay sharp."

"Shishishishi. Usopp, pass!" Luffy batted a nearby ball towards the sniper, who laughed and returned it back to the captain.

"Luffy, pass!"

"Are you even listening to me?" Sanji snarled as Luffy patted it an angle.

"Emmy, pass!"

Emmy reached up and just as she was about to hit it, she withdrew her fingers when she felt a malicious intent coming at her from the center of the ball.  _Snake!_

_SSSSSS!_

A snake burst out of the ball and chomped it's fangs right where Emmy's hands would've been.

"AH! Emmy!" Luffy yelled, "Get away from her, you jerk!"

He kicked the ball out of the way just as another one came sailing towards them.

"Another snake egg?" Sanji snarled as he swung his leg at it's side.

_Kaboom!_

The ball exploded on impact and a fiery blaze engulfed the pirates.

"Wh-What's the deal with these balls?" Usopp coughed as Emmy tried to pat down the frizzled edges of her hair.

"Ho ho hoooo! There's no telling what will come out!" a voice sang out from the forest canopy.

"Who's saying that? Who's there?!" Luffy demanded.

"These clouds are called Surprise Clouds," came the voice, "Ho ho hoooo!"

"Over there," Emmy cried as she pointed at a winged man to their left.

He sat cross legged on top of one of the floating Surprise Clouds and his own body resembled the ball as well. It was perfectly round and stuffed into a white bodysuit. The only spot of color was the yellow circular buttons down the front and the yellow top hat covering his long red hair. His smile took up the majority of his face and the rest was taken over by yellow tinted glasses that were also round. "Thank you for choosing my Ball Ordeal. Ho ho hooo!"

"Who the hell is this dango freak?" the cook asked.

"I know his laugh!" Emmy gasped, "I saw him with Nami. He must be one of the priests."

"Really? Him?" Luffy asked.

"Ho ho hoooo," the man laughed as he got to his feet and started to dance around.

"Oy! Dango!" Sanji yelled, "Stop dancing and answer my question! Is Nami-san and Robin-chan okay?!"

"What about the rest?" Usopp snapped.

"Do you mean the sacrifices?" the priest asked, "If so, I wouldn't know. Even if they're left alone, they're going to die and even if they try to escape, they're still going to die."

"What did you say?!" Sanji seethed.

"Just so you know, you'll of course need to beat me to continue ahead," the priest said. He jumped off his ball and dropped down towards them.

"Here he comes. Luffy, get him!" Usopp shouted.

"Ah," Luffy said as he wound back his arm, "Gum Gum…."

"Oh? You're going to stretch?" the priest said with the grin still on his face.

The first mate and the captain both stiffened but the captain took only a second before he let his fist fly out. "Pistol!"

The priest dodged it to the side and then planted his hand to Luffy's face and Emmy's eyes widened when she read the priest's intent.  _A forced impact?_

_Boom!_

Just with the touch of his palm, the priest sent the rubber boy flying out of the boat and he slammed hard right into a tree, breaking the trunk with a sickening crunch.

"Luffy!" Emmy gasped. Her arms gripped her body as she experienced the excruciating pain the captain was experiencing. It was like a bomb of intense pressure had been released inside her body and it ripped through all of her organs.

Luffy's straw hat tumbled up into the air and disappeared among the canopy. The captain collapsed onto the tree root, blood pouring out of his face.

"Oy! Luffy! What are you doing?!" Usopp shrieked, "Regular hits don't work on you."

"You bastard," Sanji snarled as he ran towards the priest and swung out his leg.

"An upper kick with the right foot…" the priest said smoothly and Sanji froze for a second as well. This was not missed by the first mate either.

"What did you say?!" Sanji asked as his foot swung into nothing.

"Only the well-trained are given the power of 'Mantra'," the priest said, as he swiftly pivoted on his feet. He planted his hand on the cook's face but this time whatever trick he pulled on the captain, did not work.

_Boom!_

A shockwave came out of his palm and created a dent in a tree caught in its wake but there was no cook.

"Eh?" the priest blinked looked down to see the cook lying belly first on the boat with the first mate holding tightly onto his legs, "What? Did you pull his legs out from under him?"

"Usopp! Sanji! Get Luffy and his hat back," Emmy said as she stood back up and glared fiercely at the priest, "I'll take this one."

"What? No, Emmy-chan, you can't-" Sanji protested by she dragged him back even further with his legs and then moved him over to Usopp's side of the boat.

"Go! That's an order!" Emmy yelled without breaking eye contact with the priest, "If the captain's not on board than the first mate calls the shots and I don't see the captain here, do you?!"

"Are you sure-" Usopp started to say and then she looked at him in a way that made him rethink his statement. She had the same look in her eyes as Luffy when they had found Cricket beaten up by the Bellamy pirates, "Okay. We'll leave it to you! Sanji! Let's go!"

"Be careful, Emmy-chan!"

They jumped off the side of the boat and on to the forest floor towards the captain.

"Ho ho ho," the priest laughed at the little girl in front of him, "You think you can beat me just because you temporarily saved your friend?"

"No," Emmy said. She clenched her fists and she took a deep breath, "I can beat you because we can play the same game."

She drew back her fist and just when she started to extend her arm, the priest smirked.

"A fake out punch followed by the real punch to the gut," he said quietly as he sidestepped both of Emmy's attacks and then brought his palm out.

"I thought so..." Emmy said with equal softness, just as he was about to extend his own arm and place his palm onto her face.

_Boom!_

"EMMY-CHAN!" Sanji yelled as the shockwave blasted out of the man's palm again. However, this time, it didn't hit the first mate nor the tree. It blasted right through four surprise clouds above their heads. The first had a flower pop out, another exploded like the one Sanji kicked, one had spears protruding out of them, and the last one burst into a flurry of confetti.

"What?!" the priest seethed with the first mate holding up his hand at an angle, "Can you use Mantra as well?"

"I don't know what that is….but you can predict movements and so can I," Emmy said and then balled up a fist again, "Feel Feel Punch!"

"A punch to my chin..."

_Thwack!_

The priest moved his head back to dodge the blow and was shocked to find it snapping back anyways. Emmy released his hand and he tumbled over the driver's seat. His elbow hit the accelerator and the boat started to churn faster down the Milky Road.

"Wha-What was that?!" he asked as his gloved hand went to touch his swollen face. When he talked, Emmy could see he was missing some teeth, "How come I couldn't dodge it?"

"I ate the Feel Feel Fruit. I'm an empath," Emmy replied, "If I want you to feel a punch, you will feel it."

"Devil Fruit?" The priest gasped. He got to his feet and jumped onto one of his Surprise Clouds.

"You feel frustrated and you're struggling to regain control," Emmy said. The priest gritted his teeth, which made the first mate tilt her head to the side, "You are mad that I know this and it is making you even more flustered...Do you need to stay calm for this Mantra thing to work?"

"Shut up!" the priest shouted. He pulled out a long cane from behind him and used it as a bat to hit a nearby Surprise Cloud directly at Emmy. It was too fast and too big for her to dodge it or even jump off the boat.

"Oh no!" she gasped and held her arms up to block her face, bracing for impact.

"Aaaaah-yi-ah-yi-ahhhhh-yi-ah-yi-ahhhhh!"

"Eh?!"

Just as the ball was about to make contact, Luffy swung over to her on a vine and grabbed her away by the waist. The Surprise Cloud careened into a tree and crab pinchers exploded out them, snipping away at the air.

"Luffy!" Emmy gasped.

The captain looked down at her and frowned with disapproval. "No! Emmy, you have to yell 'Aaaaah-yi-ah-yi-ahhhhh' when you swing through a forest."

"I...I don't know if I can do that," Emmy said as they stopped at a branch high up on the tree. Luffy let go of the vine he was holding and grabbed onto a new one.

"Luffy! Stop it!" Sanji yelled as he and Usopp ran to the bottom of the tree with the sniper holding tightly to Luffy's straw hat.

"Luffy, you're hat!" Usopp called out as he tossed it up to the captain.

"Thank you!" Luffy said.

"There's another issue now. It's not just about defeating that stupid doughboy. Now no one is on the boat and need to get it back before it leaves us here!" Sanji shouted, "It looks like Emmy-chan is the only one of us who can handle the priest so Luffy, back her up and deal with any of those stupid balls he sends her way. Usopp and I will get the bo-"

"Sanji! Duck!" Emmy yelled, "He's coming at you right now!"

"Huh?" Sanji said but followed the first mate anyways.

The priest's gloved hands grazed his hair and landed on the tree trunk.

_Boom!_

"AHHH! He's here! The dango is here!" Usopp shrieked while the priest glared at the first mate.

"Everybody, split up!" Luffy yelled as he swung out from the new vine with Emmy in tow. They jumped off the branch just as the tree started to fall, "Aaaaah-yi-ah-yi-ahhhhh-yi-ah-yi-ahhhhh!"

"Oy! Why are you taking Emmy away from him?! We're the one who needs to get away!" Usopp yelled as he and Sanji hightailed it towards their abandoned boat.

"Luffy, if I can see him, I can hit him," Emmy said when they landed on a branch, "So we just need to keep him in my line of sight. I don't need to be close."

"Got it."

"Hohohohooo. Don't think you can win so easily. I'm the priest, Sasori, in charge of the Ball Ordeal, which has a survival rate of 10%," the priest laughed through the leaves, "Even if you can predict my movement, you can't escape my Surprise Clouds!'

There was rustling along the branches and then suddenly, a Surprise Cloud came flying through the air. It bounced off of four separate balls, knocking them all four of them in the direction of the sniper and cook.

"Surprise Billiards!"

_Kaboom! Kaboom! Kaboom! Kaboom!_

"Oh no!" Emmy gasped and looked in the direction of the sound.

"What? What's wrong?" Luffy yelled.

"They hit Usopp and Sanji," Emmy said feeling the hurt in her bonds, "I can only read him...The clouds don't feel anything unless there's something living inside it so I can't sense their target or where they're going."

Luffy frowned and he stared up through the leaves. "But...you just need to know where they're coming from, right?"

"Eh?"

"You don't need to know where they're going. If it's coming from the dango, then we just need to see which direction it came from."

"You're right!"

"Shishishishi."

"Ho ho hoooo...As if I'd let it be that easy," Satori laughed. He came spinning down with one foot on a Surprise Cloud. He waved his cane and a string of Surprise Balls with a fierce red dragon's head at the front came flying towards them, "Ball Dragon!"

"Ahhhhhh! We gotta go!" Luffy screamed. He shoved Emmy on his back and jumped out of the tree. They ran through the forest, zigzagging around the tree trunks but the Ball Dragon was hot on their tails, "Ahhh! Punch him, Emmy! Punch him!"

"I can't!" Emmy cried. She was craning her neck to see around the Ball Dragon and the tree but she could not get a long enough look at the priest, "He's just behind the dragon but I can't see him at all! We need to get behind the dragon or at least above it."

"Got it!" Luffy said as he shot out his arms and grabbed a branch up ahead. "Gum Gum...Rocket!"

They sailed high up into the air with the dragon just beneath their feet. They were going straight up so the dragon's back was curved as it adjusted to this new trajectory. Because of that, Emmy could see the priest by the dragon's tail, holding a taut string that was connected to the head.

When their eyes connected, she could feel his panic setting in, already being told by his Mantra of what she's about to do.

"No. No. Don't-"

"Feel Feel Pull!"'

Emmy yanked his arm back and the string that he held in that hand pulled the dragon back in turn. The dragon was bending over backwards and it was flying right towards the priest, completing a perfect circle.

"AHHHH!"

_Kaboom! Kaboom! Kaboom! Kaboom! Kaboom!_

The priest was engulfed in a cloud of fire, feathers, knives, and Emmy could've sworn she saw some burnt up candy wrappers fluttering out of the blaze.

Luffy landed on a branch and the two of them grinned down at the charred and cut up priest, who was splayed out below them.

"Y-You'll be punished for this!" he coughed, "Not being judged by a priest is a 1st degree crime in Skypiea! Attacking me will be declaring war on the Almighty God Enel!"

"Oh...look...A grilled dango..." Sanji said as he came out from behind a tree and stuffed his hands into his pockets, "Emmy-chan...you know how to make dangos right?"

"Yes," Emmy called down as she got off Luffy's back and balled up both fists.

Sanji stooped down so that he could get a bit closer to the priest's face, "Now tell me, doughboy...Can you tell what's going to happen now?"

"NO! STOP! STOP! STO-"

"FEEL FEEL...GATLING!"

_Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!_

A flurry of punches pummelled into the priest's stomach, kneading into his ball shaped body. His arms and legs flailed around him as Emmy unleashed an invisible barrage. When she was done, the priest was nothing more than a flattened disk.

"Stupid bastard, mocking us with these stupid tricks," Sanji huffed while Luffy and Emmy climbed down from the tree. He gave the priest's head a kick with his heel for good measure.

"What's with these guys? How was he able to read attacks like Emmy?" Luffy asked.

"He called it Mantra…but that doesn't explain anything...Maybe Robin will know something about this," Emmy said and then she looked at Sanji, "I thought you were getting the boat with Usopp?"

"We were but then I heard an explosion on your side so I wanted to check on you, Emmy-chan," Sanji admitted, "Usopp has better eyes than me anyways."

"HEY! GUYS! I FOUND THE BOAT!" Usopp screamed. He charged right past them, "Hurry up or else it's going to leave without us!"

"Ah! Let's go!" Luffy yelled.

They followed the sniper and climbed up along a mossy hill. When they reached the top, they could see the silhouette of the Crow sailing away from them on a Milky Road overhead.

"Sanji! Grab onto my body!" Usopp yelled as he snapped a clunky belt over his waist.

"What?" Sanji asked.

"I'm going to use my Usopp Aa-aa-aaa!" the sniper declared.

_Boom!_

A grappling hook shot out of the belt buckle and it circled around the Crow's masthead, securing a rope around its neck.

"Wow, that was really cool!" Luffy cheered while Sanji came up to him and hooked an arm over him.

"Not bad. Not bad. You can be pretty cool sometimes," Sanji grinned.

Luffy pouted at Sanji. "No fair. I want to swing too."

"Idiot! You have to take care of Emmy-chan!" Sanji snapped.

"Ah! Right!" Luffy said as he looped his arm around Emmy's waist, "Ready, Emmy?"

Emmy nodded and she smiled at the sniper and cook, "We'll see back on the boat."

Luffy stretched out his free hand and grabbed the boat just as it rounded a corner and disappeared from sight. He contracted his arm and they flew through the air once again.

"Aaaaah-yi-ah-yi-ahhhhh!" Luffy laughed, "Try it, Emmy!"

"...Ah…"

"AHHHHH!"

Luffy frowned as he looked back at the sniper and cook. "They're doing it wrong too."

"Those are cries of pain!" Emmy gasped. For the rubber boy, it was a straight shot to the boat but because the rope attached to the sniper was much more lax, they were slammed into a tree every time the road curved.

The captain and the first mate tumbled onto the boat. They rushed to the grappling hook and reeled their nakama in as fast as they could. By the time Usopp and Sanji were back on board, they were completely battered and covered in splinters.

"This was more of an ordeal for you guys then the Surprise Clouds," Emmy murmured.

"I'm...I'm going to get you for this," Sanji moaned and weakly kicked Usopp in the head.

"In any case, we're now getting out of the forest...right?" Usopp whimpered back.

Emmy started to giggle but then her hands went to her stomach and the blood drained from her face. "Oh no!"

"AH! Emmy! Emmy, what's wrong?!" Luffy cried.

"Luffy!" Emmy gasped, "I...I can't feel Chopper! Our bond is gone!"


End file.
